When will Apple stop releasing new watchOS for S6?

[XboxEvolved]

The Series 6 is probably what would be considered the “baseline” Apple Watch nowadays, meaning the two generations after it were essentially the 6 with minor improvements, the 9+U2 being the first significant update in regards to the processor.

It appears that Apple has settled on a 5 year support base for each generation, but could that be expanded to 6 possibly 7 years starting with S6? Currently I am just expecting Apple to stop making watchOS updates available for the S6 at watchOS 12. Would that be a fair assumption?

 

[musicpenguy]

I think we will have a better sense of this when the Series 4 and you’d think 5 would be discontinued in the same year running the same chip? I would think it would have a very long life since the S8 is on the same chip so hypothetically not until they are ready to stop supporting that model - perhaps earlier and the S7 becomes a baseline for screen size purposes?

 

[throAU]

Probably some time after my S4 stops getting updates.

The S4 was a major milestone chip in terms of performance - everything after that has been minor incremental improvement in terms of speed.

As much as some may not believe this - apple generally drop hardware when there's a feature the hardware doesn't support that they want to make standard in the new software. Given the s4 is still pretty comparable to the more recent chips in feature set/performance... could be a while.

The S3 and earlier were much slower.

 

[jz0309]

Currently I am just expecting Apple to stop making watchOS updates available for the S6 at watchOS 12. Would that be a fair assumption?

possibly, and your watch will continue working just fine with the latest OS that supports it assuming the battery is ok.
Folks still using S3…
What’s your concern?

 

[XboxEvolved]

possibly, and your watch will continue working just fine with the latest OS that supports it assuming the battery is ok.
Folks still using S3…
What’s your concern?

Not a concern more of a wonder.

 

[musicpenguy]

Probably some time after my S4 stops getting updates.

The S4 was a major milestone chip in terms of performance - everything after that has been minor incremental improvement in terms of speed.

As much as some may not believe this - apple generally drop hardware when there's a feature the hardware doesn't support that they want to make standard in the new software. Given the s4 is still pretty comparable to the more recent chips in feature set/performance... could be a while.

The S3 and earlier were much slower.

I’ve heard the S4/S5 are pretty bad on watchOS 10 - don’t have one anymore to test

 

[throAU]

I’ve heard the S4/S5 are pretty bad on watchOS 10 - don’t have one anymore to test

My s4 works about as well as my s6 on watchOS 10, except it has better battery life and battery health (yeah, you heard me).

S6 has been a major disappointment for me. Sure the S6 has always on display and cellular, but still... I expected more from it.

 

[Dented]

I’ve heard the S4/S5 are pretty bad on watchOS 10 - don’t have one anymore to test

My S4 runs watchOS 10 just fine, no problems with performance at all - I’m just about to replace it but only because the battery has now aged so badly it’s not getting through the day (I’ve been wearing it for four years and the health is now at 77%).

As someone else said above, the chip in the S4 has been the basis of every other Apple Watch since, right up until the S9 this year which ships with a genuinely new processor for the first time. The S5, 6, 7 and 8 (and both the SE’s) essentially just repackaged the same S4 processor. So I imagine it will only really fall out of support once the software really requires the full power of the S9 chip.

 

[perezr10]

I’m just about to replace it but only because the battery has now aged so badly it’s not getting through the day (I’ve been wearing it for four years and the health is now at 77%).

Yeah, the battery life is a much bigger reason for needing to upgrade.

 

[Dented]

Yeah, the battery life is a much bigger reason for needing to upgrade.

Absolutely, and tbh I have in mind now when I’m choosing a new one that it’ll probably be trash in four years, so long term software support isn’t such a big deal really (and I wouldn’t pay extra for steel or an Ultra personally).

 

[throAU]

Yeah, the battery life is a much bigger reason for needing to upgrade.

Battery health on my S4 is better than my S6 :-\

88% on the S4 vs 82-84% on the S6

Maybe I just got a dud s6 or the s6 just sucks....

 

[Kevrani]

As others have said, aside from the battery, my S4 is working as well as it did when I bought it.