Weekly overview 26: watchOS 27 deletes many Apple Watch models, beta contains Siri AI hints and more

Although Apple Intelligence and the new, smarter Siri stole the show during WWDC, it remained noticeably quiet around the Apple TV and HomePod. However, that now seems to be changing quickly. Clear indications have been found in the code of the recently released second beta of tvOS 27 that link to the arrival of ‘Siri AI’ in the living room.

This suggests that Apple is busy behind the scenes with the software preparations for an upgrade of its smart home platform. There have been rumors before that Apple wants to launch a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with Siri at the center later this year.

Apple seems to have a busy autumn ahead of it. According to new rumors, at least 15 product innovations are planned for the second half of this year, including new iPhones, Apple Watch models, Macs, iPads and possibly also a completely new smart home hub.

In addition to the annual iPhone and Apple Watch updates in September, Apple is also said to be working on a foldable iPhone Ultra, a redesigned MacBook with OLED screen and long-awaited updates for the Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini, among others.

During the unveiling of watchOS 27, it became painfully clear that a significant number of Apple Watch models will not participate in the update this fall. Owners of the first Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 8 were especially perplexed; these relatively new models are already being excluded. Apple has traditionally built a reputation for long-term software support, so this sudden ‘purge’ of as many as five models caused a lot of frustration.

In one interview with TechRadar Apple CEOs Cait Dooley (Product Marketing Manager for Apple Watch and Health) and David Clark (Senior Director of watchOS Software Engineering) shared their insights on this decision. The duo explains that the change comes from the hardware requirements of the latest features. Apple deliberately chooses performance instead of nostalgia, in order to optimize the user experience on the supported models.

Although Apple Intelligence and the new, smarter Siri stole the show during WWDC, it remained noticeably quiet around the Apple TV and HomePod. However, that now seems to be changing quickly. Clear indications have been found in the code of the recently released second beta of tvOS 27 that link to the arrival of ‘Siri AI’ in the living room.

This suggests that Apple is busy behind the scenes with the software preparations for an upgrade of its smart home platform. There have been rumors before that Apple wants to launch a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with Siri at the center later this year.

Apple seems to have a busy autumn ahead of it. According to new rumors, at least 15 product innovations are planned for the second half of this year, including new iPhones, Apple Watch models, Macs, iPads and possibly also a completely new smart home hub.

In addition to the annual iPhone and Apple Watch updates in September, Apple is also said to be working on a foldable iPhone Ultra, a redesigned MacBook with OLED screen and long-awaited updates for the Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini, among others.

Apple seems to be finally saying goodbye to Walkie Talkie on the Apple Watch in watchOS 27. In the first developer beta, the app disappeared from both the app view and the Control Center, and there is no way to reinstall the feature yet.

Walkie Talkie was used for years to instantly send short voice messages to other Apple Watch contacts. Since the application was rarely used, it is not surprising that this functionality has now been removed. This means that starting with watchOS 27, you will no longer have access to these communication functions on the Apple Watch.

During the unveiling of watchOS 27, it became painfully clear that a significant number of Apple Watch models will not participate in the update this fall. Owners of the first Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Series 8 were especially perplexed; these relatively new models are already being excluded. Apple has traditionally built a reputation for long-term software support, so this sudden ‘purge’ of as many as five models caused a lot of frustration.

In one interview with TechRadar Apple CEOs Cait Dooley (Product Marketing Manager for Apple Watch and Health) and David Clark (Senior Director of watchOS Software Engineering) shared their insights on this decision. The duo explains that the change comes from the hardware requirements of the latest features. Apple deliberately chooses performance instead of nostalgia, in order to optimize the user experience on the supported models.

Although Apple Intelligence and the new, smarter Siri stole the show during WWDC, it remained noticeably quiet around the Apple TV and HomePod. However, that now seems to be changing quickly. Clear indications have been found in the code of the recently released second beta of tvOS 27 that link to the arrival of ‘Siri AI’ in the living room.

This suggests that Apple is busy behind the scenes with the software preparations for an upgrade of its smart home platform. There have been rumors before that Apple wants to launch a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod with Siri at the center later this year.

Apple seems to have a busy autumn ahead of it. According to new rumors, at least 15 product innovations are planned for the second half of this year, including new iPhones, Apple Watch models, Macs, iPads and possibly also a completely new smart home hub.

In addition to the annual iPhone and Apple Watch updates in September, Apple is also said to be working on a foldable iPhone Ultra, a redesigned MacBook with OLED screen and long-awaited updates for the Apple TV, HomePod and HomePod mini, among others.