Before Apple announced the Apple Watch, there were rumors that suggested that Apple could launch a version that could cost $10,000. It sounded almost ridiculous, but this was later proven to be very true. Unfortunately it seems that after spending $10,000 on the Apple Watch Edition, it looks like it will not be supported by watchOS 5.
This was confirmed in a tweet by Kyle Seth Gray in which he points out the Apple Watches that would support watchOS 5. This included Series 1, 2, and 3, while the original Apple Watch (also known as Series 0) was not mentioned. Of course by no means does this mean that the watch has been rendered useless, but rather it will not be able to take advantage of all the new features that will be part of watchOS 5 and beyond.
— Kyle Seth Gray @ WWDC (@kylesethgray) June 4, 2018
While we can’t say we’re surprised since companies can’t be expected to support devices forever, it does highlight one of the flaws of smartwatches compared to traditional watches. Of course one could argue that a traditional watch doesn’t do more than tell the time or date, but then again, a $10,000 traditional timepiece would probably last you your entire life if you took care of it.
In any case it’s something to think about if you are considering investing in a smartwatch. Apple has since discontinued its gold Apple Watch Editions and has instead opted for cheaper (but still more expensive compared to the regular Apple Watch) ceramic Apple Watch Edition models.
Filed in . Read more about Apple Watch, Smartwatch, Watchos and Wearable Tech.