watchOS 9: Which Apple Watch will receive the update?

Since WWDC 2022, we had an impression of what the successor to watchOS 8 will look like on the Apple Watch. If you want to know what has been changed in the software since last year, you can already install watchOS 9 beta. If you would rather wait for the final version, we will tell you about all the important new features of watchOS in a separate article.

We expect the new Apple Watch Series 8 models to be unveiled in early September, along with the upcoming iPhone. By then, all the new watches will already be equipped with watchOS 9. But not all older models will be able to install the update to the new OS when the time comes.

These Apple Watch models will receive watchOS 9

Apple has already revealed which models will get the update - and which generation will unfortunately be left out in the cold. Owners of the Apple Watch Series 3 must therefore now come to a crossroads on whether to upgrade their timepieces or not: All models from the Apple Watch 4 onwards are compatible with watchOS 9. Here is an overview of all compatible smartwatches:

• Apple Watch Series 4
• Apple Watch Series 5
• Apple Watch SE
• Apple Watch Series 6
• Apple Watch Series 7

Apple also stated that you need an iPhone 8 or newer for watchOS 9 to work with it. The fact that the Apple Watch 3 falls through the cracks was predictable, since the last update was already not without problems for the model. Apple will not be able to offer all innovations on all devices, in all regions and in all languages this year, either.

Personally, I found it strange that Apple is still selling the Watch 3 officially if they know that they are going to stop software support for it. The price is of course tempting, but if you want to be on the go with the latest software in the future, you'll opt for a newer version.

What do you say? Are you planning to buy a new Apple Watch this fall? Or is your current model still good enough for you?