Apple's upcoming support cut sets limited lifespan for older devices

Apple will end software support for several older hardware models across its product lines later this year, narrowing security and feature updates but allowing continued basic functionality for now.

Apple is set to withdraw software support from a wide range of older hardware later this year, although the affected devices will not suddenly stop working. According to reporting from PhoneArena and MacRumors, the change will affect Apple Watch, iPad, Mac and Apple TV models that are still in use but are due to fall off the company’s next major operating-system releases.

The practical impact is more limited than the phrase “loss of support” suggests. The devices will continue to power on and run, but they will no longer receive the main version upgrades that bring new features and compatibility improvements. Apple has also continued to issue security updates for older products after formal support ends, and MacRumors noted earlier this year that Apple still pushed certificate-related fixes to some long-retired iPhone models so services such as FaceTime and iMessage could keep working.

The biggest cut is expected on the Apple Watch side. Reports from MacRumors, 9to5Mac and Tech Advisor all say watchOS 27 will drop support for the Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, the first-generation Apple Watch Ultra and the second-generation Apple Watch SE. That is a notable change because some of those models are only a few years old, underlining how quickly wearable hardware can move out of Apple’s software window.

Older iPads are also on the list. The models expected to miss iPadOS 27 include the iPad Air third generation, the iPad Pro 11-inch first generation, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch third generation, the eighth-generation iPad and the fifth-generation iPad mini, according to the same reports. While these tablets should remain usable, they will gradually lose access to the latest features and, over time, may become less suitable for accounts, apps and services that depend on current software.

Mac support is also narrowing, with MacRumors, 9to5Mac and Chip reporting that macOS 27 will leave behind the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2019, the MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, the 2020 iMac and the 2019 Mac Pro. Apple TV HD from 2015 and the first-generation Apple TV 4K from 2017 are also expected to be dropped by tvOS 27. For owners of any of these devices, the main issue is not immediate failure but a shrinking security margin and a growing risk that newer apps and services will eventually stop behaving properly.