Apple Watch Series 3 Will Not See The Light Of The Day After Q3 2022

A fresh piece of information suggests that the Apple Watch Series 3 will no longer be available once the watchOS 9 starts rolling out. Apple will reportedly stop producing Apple Watch Series 3 in Q3 of 2022. The discontinuation of the series is due to its incompatibility with the new version of watchOS. To recall, the Cupertino-based tech company released the Apple Watch Series 3 almost five years ago, in September 2017.

Moreover, it is the oldest Apple Watch series to run the latest version of watchOS 8. Apple will be unveiling the watchOS 9 at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference) later this year. Now, a new report suggests that the tech behemoth will discontinue support for the Apple Watch Series 3 following the debut of watchOS 9. To recall, the rumor mill was churning out speculations surrounding a rugged Apple Watch last year, which would be revealed in 2022.

Apple Watch Series 3 may go to end-of-life (EOL) in 3Q22 because the computing power can’t meet the requirements of the new watchOS.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 21, 2022

It will be interesting to see whether or not Apple announces the ruggedized version of its well-received smart wearable at the upcoming information technology conference. The existing Apple Watch Series 3 could be discontinued because it uses old hardware, according to a tweet by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The smartwatch packs an older S3 chip under the hood. However, the Apple Watch SE comes with the S5 chip. Likewise, the Apple Watch Series 7 use the S7 chip to draw power.

Apple To Discontinue Watch Series 3 Soon

Furthermore, the display corners of the Apple Watch Series 3 are angular. The watch has large bezels and a thick build. In other words, updating the watchOS could prove to be an arduous task for Apple. So, the company could discontinue this smartwatch when it releases the new version of the watchOS. If this speculation proves to be true, the Apple Watch Series 4 will become the company's oldest smartwatch to run watchOS 9 at the time of launch.

Regrettably, details about the upcoming watchOS are still scarce. However, a report by Gadgets 360 sheds light on the new OS launch timeline. The report indicates that it will debut alongside Apple Watch Series 8 and the 2nd generation Apple Watch SE‌. To recall, the Apple Watch Series 7 had received the watchOS 8.1.1 Update last year. This update was to fix the smartwatch's charging issues. Furthermore, the Apple Watch Series 8 and the 2nd generation Apple Watch SE could debut later this year. This launch timeline coincides with Kuo's prediction. More details about the upcoming watchOS 9 are likely to surface online ahead of the WWDC.