Apple will release watchOS 11 this fall, but not every Apple Watch will receive this update. There is an Apple Watch that does not go beyond watchOS 10.
This Apple Watch will not receive watchOS 11
It wasn’t that long ago that Apple continued to sell the 2017 Apple Watch Series 3 despite the fact that it didn’t get the announced watchOS update. Apple didn’t make that mistake again. The Apple Watch that does not receive the watchOS 11 update has not been sold for some time.
Apple Watch Series 4 will not receive an update
According to website iPhonesoft watchOS 11 only runs on Apple Watch Series 5 and later. This would mean that the 2018 Apple Watch Series 4 will remain stuck on watchOS 10 and will only receive security updates.
As mentioned, the Apple Watch Series 4 has not been sold for a long time. Apple is now positioning the Apple Watch SE as the entry-level model. Without an always-on display, the Apple Watch SE looks a bit like the Apple Watch Series 4. They have approximately the same design, but the Apple Watch SE has a different processor. That is why this Apple Watch will receive a watchOS 11 update.
What about the Apple Watch Series 5?
The Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 basically have almost the same processor. It therefore appears that Apple is excluding a model from a watchOS 11 update, while the successor with virtually the same chip is still supported. This has to do with the fact that Apple does not consider the S4 and S5 chips to be the same, even though they share the same CPU and GPU.
The Apple Watch Series 1, 2 and 3 were respectively supported up to watchOS 4, 6 and 8. If that pattern continues, the Apple Watch Series 4 would indeed be released on watchOS 10 and there will therefore be no watchOS 11 update. However, we won’t know for sure until June 10th during WWDC 2024!
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