Apple watch buyer BEWARE!!!

[zachz]

We are way past that.. i understand .. i am 45 and worked with tech all my life .. as written before tech crazy enough to travel from Denmark to cupertino to pick up that watch.
We are talking basic functions lost here.. connection! And all that comes with it.

Many of my Macs don’t connect anymore. Why? Because tech becomes old and stops working and supporting newer devices/services.

If you’ve worked for tech all your life you should at least know basic ways of how it works and ages.

My G4 Cube does not connect to my network — purely connection — it works perfectly other than that. I still game on it! I even have photoshop I can use, and sometimes watch movies on it for fun. Should I blame Apple for it not connecting anymore?

 

[zachz]

I'll go further. My Apple IIe is still running strong. Should I sue Apple because I can't upgrade from DOS 3.1 or ProDOS 6.x? Despite the fact that I can still play a killer game of Oregon Trail, Lemonade Stand, Zaxxon, Pitfall II, and Karateka? Hell, I can still write a term paper on it, let alone code the hell out of Logo; make that turtle in Turtle Graphics run harder than the Coyote trying to catch the Roadrunner.

BL.

Yea, let’s team up and sue!

I’d expect your Apple IIe to at least have handoff so you don’t have to pull your phone out to iMessage someone. Bare minimum I’d say

 

[BigMcGuire]

Embarrassing to read. Not sure if trolling or not. I can’t imagine wasting this much time complaining about a product that got me so much use. Most people would take that as a win and move on. This world is full of diverse people.

 

[Silver78]

We are way past that.. i understand .. i am 45 and worked with tech all my life .. as written before tech crazy enough to travel from Denmark to cupertino to pick up that watch.
We are talking basic functions lost here.. connection! And all that comes with it.
On devices not older than 7-3 years and sold a year ago?
A device they boldly made in 24k gold to make a statement .. dont be scared to buy! Atleast that is what i read.. who would buy a gold watch thats bricked in a few years.
Its a watch.. that deserves to be able to function in 30 years and sell as retro etc more than any tech at least in my mind.
People are still using old ipods modernized also. Series 0-3 watch is dead!!?

Embarrassing to read. Not sure if trolling or not. I can’t imagine wasting this much time complaining about a product that got me so much use. Most people would take that as a win and move on. This world is full of diverse people.

I find it even more embarrassing people just accept this a the way it is.
This is not the right forum for this i guess .. its become way to wumao.
Try and see the big picture.

 

[George Dawes]

Imagine buying the gold edition and ending up with a glorified paper weight

That'd REALLY annoy me

Then again I guess you could just melt it down

 

[davedvdy]

I would expect blind fanboys to be in apples own forum.. but that its spread to macrumors is just sad

Technology evolves quickly. Apple actually gives support to their devices longer than many manufacturers do.
You keep saying it's been 4 years, but that product was released in April of 2015.

 

[jonasen]

I find it even more embarrassing people just accept this a the way it is.
This is not the right forum for this i guess .. its become way to wumao.
Try and see the big picture.

It's the same with lots of technology. It's hardly only Apple does not support connection between an old device and a new device. While you may think it's not that long ago that the Series 0 Apple Watch was released it is actually quite a bit of revisions done (as we are on Series 8 this year). I am more surprised that they supported it for as long as they have. I think the only thing you really can "rant about" is that you cannot downgrade your phone to an OS that would support you connecting to it. Going the way of Microsoft and have compability back decades is bad for so many reasons, so I would prefer if Apple would just alert you on the upgrade that "This upgrade is not guaranteed to work with your Apple Watch / HomePod / iPad / whatever device you would expect it to work with"

 

[Silver78]

It's the same with lots of technology. It's hardly only Apple does not support connection between an old device and a new device. While you may think it's not that long ago that the Series 0 Apple Watch was released it is actually quite a bit of revisions done (as we are on Series 8 this year). I am more surprised that they supported it for as long as they have. I think the only thing you really can "rant about" is that you cannot downgrade your phone to an OS that would support you connecting to it. Going the way of Microsoft and have compability back decades is bad for so many reasons, so I would prefer if Apple would just alert you on the upgrade that "This upgrade is not guaranteed to work with your Apple Watch / HomePod / iPad / whatever device you would expect it to work with"

Its all the way up to series 3 (watches that can not run watch os9) which was sold as short as 2021.
The watches are fine .. its just sync problems that will not be resolved.
I have a 2012 100$ fit bit one in the family still doing sync and work just fine.. and you tell me a 7 year old apple 400$ watch can no longer sync and work?
I have a I guess 7 year old mifit 30$ smart band now more smart than my 7 year old apple watch!!
Something is completely wrong here!
Oh and the original pebble smartwatches from 2010 are still running just fine

 

[iStorm]

It was verified by support. The watch still connects but will not communicate with apple watch app.
Any watch below watch os9 is not supported by ios 16.
That includes apple watch 3 which apple sold until 2021?

I think you have this backwards or misunderstanding it. watchOS 9 requires iOS 16. The reverse isn’t true. It doesn’t mean or imply that iOS 16 won’t work with older watchOS versions.

I gave my mom my old Series 2 watch last year (stuck with watchOS 6). It worked fine with her iPhone XR (running iOS 15 & 16), and still works perfectly fine with her new iPhone 14 (currently running iOS 16.1.1).

Do you have any transcripts you’re able to share with us by chance? Sometimes the meaning or context gets lost when playing the “he said/she said” game. Once, someone was complaining that Apple wouldn’t replace the battery in their 6-year-old iPhone because it was no longer supported. It wasn’t until we seen the transcript that we realized what was going on. Apple was saying they couldn’t sell him the battery (because that phone wasn’t part of the new self-repair program). Somehow, Apple misunderstood the person wanting to get his battery replaced; and the person misinterpreted their response, thinking he couldn’t get it replaced at all, when in fact Apple still did do battery replacements for that 6-year-old phone via mail-in or authorized service provider.

 

[Nekomichi]

My series 0 is just fine physically and i changed the battery a few years ago. [...]

Oh wow, that's amazing! Did you replace the battery yourself?

 

[Rainshadow]

I use my watch 0 just fine .. i dont need any other functions than basic ones.. watch is fast enough for me.. now it just useless. .. i imagine people own a series 3 watch must be sad .. only 4 years old.
We are not talking no updates .. we are talking bricked watch here .. would you buy a 1000$ ultra for 4 years of life only?

Its $799 and yes. For 4 years? Absolutely.

 

[bricktop_at]

Its all the way up to series 3 (watches that can not run watch os9) which was sold as short as 2021.

That is simply wrong and it has been said in this thread quite some times now. Don’t you think it‘s about time that you accept this simple fact?

 

[imlovinit]

I’m confused by this thread…how long does one expect a smart watch to last ? Lasting about 7 years before issues is pretty decent and considering some are lucky to still have it going strong for its age is incredible. Seems unrealistic to expect a smart watch to last a decade or longer like a normal watch.

 

[Rainshadow]

I’m confused by this thread…how long does one expect a smart watch to last ? Lasting about 7 years before issues is pretty decent and considering some are lucky to still have it going strong for its age is incredible. Seems unrealistic to expect a smart watch to last a decade or longer like a normal watch.

My thoughts exactly. I had the series 0 for 4 years and I simply don’t believe the OP about its functioning. At 4 years my arm was literally sore waiting for some apps to load. the battery was horrid - charging more than once a day. Sure, it “worked” but it was becoming painful. Add 3 years to that!?!? it still looked great but this is the kind of complaint I couldn’t handle if I ever worked as a “genius”.

take a breath, be grateful for its unusual longevity, and recycle it. If you like the utility, you will like the newer speed and functions way more And get another 5-7 years out of it. If it’s not worth buying one, vote with your wallet and don’t buy one.

And the poll is a joke. Of course it’s not ok to last only 4 years. But by his very own story, they don’t only last that long… and series 3 sounds to be fine. None of this makes sense.

 

[Cole82]

Imagine buying the gold edition and ending up with a glorified paper weight

That'd REALLY annoy me

Then again I guess you could just melt it down

To be fair, if someone purchased a gold piece of tech… they kind of had it coming. Like those people that purchased gold Nokias back in the day or the diamond encrusted Vertu phone… but I’m guessing that type of person doesn’t really care about the cost of these things and probably upgraded every other year anyway.

 

[Nekomichi]

I have quite a few things to say about this, so for the sake of organisation I'll split it into three messages.

Firstly, OP mentioned that the battery has been replaced in their 1st generation Apple Watch and that they work on tech a lot. This implies that they opened up the watch and performed the battery replacement themselves. As @stiligFox has mentioned, a 1st generation Watch running its final supported OS (watchOS 4.x) should still pair and work with iOS 16, so the fact that OP's doesn't is strange. I suspect there may be a hardware fault with their watch.

Funnily enough, I've experienced a very similar issue before. Earlier this year I bought a bulk lot of old tech and among the products was an Apple Watch Series 2. I tried pairing it to an iPhone on iOS 14 and while the Watch app could detect it and initiate the pairing process, it would always fail with an unspecified error. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the screen had started to come away and the watch's chassis was no longer properly sealed. After a full teardown, I found dust and corrosion inside the watch.

I think this might also be the case with OP's watch. They opened it up years ago, which compromised the physical integrity of the device. While it didn't cause any immediate effect, over the years the ingress of liquids and other contaminants and their accumulation could have resulted in damage to the logic board, preventing it from functioning properly.

If this is the case, then the watch has indeed suffered a "natural" or hardware death, and not an intentional software bricking attempt.

Or put another way: Your Watch has ended.

 

[Silver78]

I talked to a senior supervisor.. I was told apple have not officially cut support for those watches they may have “halted” working on support for them.. we both agreed on the “”.
Smart move from apple.
A complaint was made and another case number.. i was to wait for further ios update and see.

 

[Silver78]

I have quite a few things to say about this, so for the sake of organisation I'll split it into three messages.

Firstly, OP mentioned that the battery has been replaced in their 1st generation Apple Watch and that they work on tech a lot. This implies that they opened up the watch and performed the battery replacement themselves. As @stiligFox has mentioned, a 1st generation Watch running its final supported OS (watchOS 4.x) should still pair and work with iOS 16, so the fact that OP's doesn't is strange. I suspect there may be a hardware fault with their watch.

Funnily enough, I've experienced a very similar issue before. Earlier this year I bought a bulk lot of old tech and among the products was an Apple Watch Series 2. I tried pairing it to an iPhone on iOS 14 and while the Watch app could detect it and initiate the pairing process, it would always fail with an unspecified error. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that the screen had started to come away and the watch's chassis was no longer properly sealed. After a full teardown, I found dust and corrosion inside the watch.

I think this might also be the case with OP's watch. They opened it up years ago, which compromised the physical integrity of the device. While it didn't cause any immediate effect, over the years the ingress of liquids and other contaminants and their accumulation could have resulted in damage to the logic board, preventing it from functioning properly.

If this is the case, then the watch has indeed suffered a "natural" or hardware death, and not an intentional software bricking attempt.

Or put another way: Your Watch has ended.

Nope not the issue.. watch still connects in bluetooth.. watch shows also phone connected. Its a watch app issue

 

[Nekomichi]

Its all the way up to series 3 (watches that can not run watch os9) which was sold as short as 2021.
The watches are fine .. its just sync problems that will not be resolved.
I have a 2012 100$ fit bit one in the family still doing sync and work just fine.. and you tell me a 7 year old apple 400$ watch can no longer sync and work?
I have a I guess 7 year old mifit 30$ smart band now more smart than my 7 year old apple watch!!
Something is completely wrong here!
Oh and the original pebble smartwatches from 2010 are still running just fine

As for the general longevity of the Apple Watch, I do have my own criticisms of Apple. When they announced the original model way back in 2015, it was 100% intended as a fashion accessory and any "smart" features were just an afterthought. As with any fashion piece, they go out of fashion quickly and the first generation watch was certainly not built to last many software updates.

However over the years there's been a shift in direction with this product line; Series 2 added water resistance, Series 3 gave it independence with cellular support, Series 5 added an always-on display. The casing material and colours have also changed from shiny and showy to more muted, utility-oriented designs. The Edition line started off as a high-end fashion accessory with the ridiculous gold, then moved to ceramic, then titanium, before finally being axed this year to be replaced by the Ultra model.

It's clear to see that Apple Watch had evolved from a simple fashion item that's just meant to look pretty as a status symbol to an actual utility that serves everyday purposes. So in that sense, Apple realised their mistake early on and shifted their focus for the product line.

I guess the main takeaway here isn't "buyer beware", but rather "don't expect utility from older generation Apple Watch models".

 

[TracerAnalog]

I use my watch 0 just fine .. i dont need any other functions than basic ones.. watch is fast enough for me.. now it just useless. .. i imagine people own a series 3 watch must be sad .. only 4 years old.
We are not talking no updates .. we are talking bricked watch here .. would you buy a 1000$ ultra for 4 years of life only?

Apple Watches are consumables. If you want a watch that will last a long time, buy an old school mechanical watch (that needs maintenance every 5-10 years)

 

[TheRoadRunner]

Apple watch buyer BEWARE!!!

I own an apple watch series 0 a watch that came out same year as iphone 6 or 7 plus!!

Imagine if apple turned of basic functions and connection options for those phones!!!

That is what apple just did!!! Turned off basic functions for my otherwise working and mint condition series 0 apple watch.

It is not supported in ios 16.1 !!!.. i got a new phone and after automatic installing ios 16.1.1 basic functions on old apple watches is no longer working..

Basically everything that require connection to the phone is no longer working!!! Fitness sync. Notifications, weather complications and other complications etc. basically everything that also uses the watch app on phone.

So they more or less “bricked” my watch at the push of a button!!! Why!!!

Its the first time i have seen an apple product become completely useless after 7 years.. and they choose to do it on a watch!!!

The watch was working just fine before the update.. yes it did not have the new functions but it was just fine.

I called support and after a long chat they decided to compensate me!!! With a link to recycle the watch.. so they “brick” my watch and sent me a link to recycle the watch!!! After that they semt me a link to apple store watch page so i could buy a new one .. at Full price!!!

What is going on here? Can apple just do that!!!?

In my ears it sound crazy that they can just do that!!!

As from what i can read it affects watch up to series 3 !!!

So basic functions and connection to phone is no longer working!!!

Apple watch 3 is from 2018 so 4 years old!!! Is no useless!!

So Beware.. you watch will be useless after 4 years only.. we are not talking no updates or no 3rd party apps .. we are talking no connection .. useless!!!

Please help!

Please tell me this post is a joke!

 

[Nekomichi]

We are talking basic functions lost here.. connection! And all that comes with it.
On devices not older than 7-3 years and sold a year ago?
A device they boldly made in 24k gold to make a statement .. dont be scared to buy! Atleast that is what i read.. who would buy a gold watch thats bricked in a few years.
Its a watch.. that deserves to be able to function in 30 years and sell as retro etc more than any tech at least in my mind.
People are still using old ipods modernized also. Series 0-3 watch is dead!!?

About the extended usage of older tech in general... I still use an original generation iPod! This thing's over two decades old but both the battery and hard drive still work.

Spoiler: Shortened history of iPods and such

For vintage iPod users, the biggest problem is connecting the 1st or 2nd generation to modern Macs or even just charging them. These devices have FireWire 400 ports which are not compatible with USB in any way. You can't charge or sync them directly because modern computers don't have FireWire ports any more and because of their protocol, it's impossible to build an adaptor that converts FireWire to USB (except the latest-spec USB 4 but that's another story).

The only way to get these to talk to modern computers is buying up to three separate adaptors and connecting them to a Thunderbolt port. Without these, you can't set up or even charge an original iPod. Does that mean Apple has effectively "bricked" them to kill them off? No.

You see, back in 2001 USB was still in its infancy and the latest spec at the time was USB 1.1. It was so slow that transferring across an entire album of MP3 music would take over an hour and it couldn't even supply enough power to charge any portable devices. FireWire 400 was not only over 30 times faster, but it could charge the device all in one cable. Considering portable media players before the iPod usually had two separate cables for charging and syncing, this was revolutionary in comparison.

But over time, USB grew and because even better than FireWire, which was phased out. Today's USB 4 can transfer data over 3,000 times faster than USB 1.1! Newer generations of iPod evolved accordingly, with the 3rd generation adopting USB syncing only and then the Mini and 4th generation finally adopting full USB charging and syncing.

So what was the point of this long-winded crash course in iPod history? Well, I wanted to point out that older, vintage tech products haven't changed. What's changed is the technological environment. When everything else around them is constantly growing and evolving, sooner or later there will be a day when once-revolutionary products become obsolete. Sure, you can still power them on, but getting them to talk to modern machines will be a pain in the neck.

Vintage tech collecting is a really cool hobby, but it's important to remember that vintage is vintage, and it may not be practical to keep trying to use a product the same way it was intended to work when they were first released when the world around them has changed.

 

[Silver78]

Technology evolves quickly. Apple actually gives support to their devices longer than many manufacturers do.
You keep saying it's been 4 years, but that product was released in April of 2015.

Problems with this should be series 0-3.. that 7-4 years plus series 3 was still sold in 2021 i was told

 

[Silver78]

L

As for the general longevity of the Apple Watch, I do have my own criticisms of Apple. When they announced the original model way back in 2015, it was 100% intended as a fashion accessory and any "smart" features were just an afterthought. As with any fashion piece, they go out of fashion quickly and the first generation watch was certainly not built to last many software updates.

However over the years there's been a shift in direction with this product line; Series 2 added water resistance, Series 3 gave it independence with cellular support, Series 5 added an always-on display. The casing material and colours have also changed from shiny and showy to more muted, utility-oriented designs. The Edition line started off as a high-end fashion accessory with the ridiculous gold, then moved to ceramic, then titanium, before finally being axed this year to be replaced by the Ultra model.

It's clear to see that Apple Watch had evolved from a simple fashion item that's just meant to look pretty as a status symbol to an actual utility that serves everyday purposes. So in that sense, Apple realised their mistake early on and shifted their focus for the product line.

I guess the main takeaway here isn't "buyer beware", but rather "don't expect utility from older generation Apple Watch models".

dont expect the apple watch 4 years after production date will connect to your phone and work even with the most basic apple complications. Music control. Sun rise sunset. Weather. Or fitness tracking and heart tracking.
Even my 12 year old 100$ fitbit one does that just fine even today.. and my 25$ 7 year old xiaomi smartband is now smarter than my 7 year old 400$ apple watch.

 

[russell_314]

Please tell me this post is a joke!

Some of the posts here make me wonder if they are. I suspect it’s either someone serious or he’s putting lots of effort into rickrolling us 😂