Remember the Lower-Cost Apple Watch Series 1? It's Vintage Now

Apple today updated the public-facing vintage and obsolete products list on its website. The page confirms that all first-generation Apple Watch models are now obsolete, as we reported earlier this month based on an internal memo. Obsolete products are no longer eligible for repairs or service at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Apple Watch Series 1 Vintage Feature 2
Another addition to the page is the Apple Watch Series 1, which is now classified as vintage. Introduced alongside the Apple Watch Series 2 in September 2016, the Series 1 was a more affordable model that lacked the Series 2's built-in GPS, brighter display, and improved water resistance. It was also only available with an aluminum case, whereas the Series 2 had aluminum, stainless steel, and ceramic case options. In the U.S., the Series 1 started at $269, compared to $369 for the Series 2.

Apple considers a product to be vintage once five years have passed since it was last distributed for sale. Apple discontinued the Series 1 in September 2018 after introducing the Apple Watch Series 4, so that five-year mark has now been reached. Vintage products are no longer guaranteed to be eligible for repairs at Apple Stores and Apple Authorized Service Providers, with service subject to parts availability.

Nowadays, the Apple Watch SE is the budget model, with pricing starting at $249.

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...

Top Rated Comments

FasterQuieter Avatar
27 months ago
I remember the series 0. That thing was slooooow.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
27 months ago

Doesn’t that force you to keep on an older iOS version on your paired iPhone? Or is Series 3 still supported by Watch OS 10?
Its on Watch OS 8.7.1 which still works with my iPhone X 16.7.1.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Blackstick Avatar
27 months ago

What about the man mini 2014? I thought that would be listed as obsolete since the 2018 came out in October.
It's 5 years from the date last sold. Soooo probably by next month it's going vintage.

Besides California, Vintage = Obsolete for the rest of us. Apple won't service them.

The interesting one is the MD101LL/A (Mid 2012 13" MacBook Pro)... I'm not sure it'll ever die, Apple sold it so damn long.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tomtad Avatar
27 months ago
It’s interesting they called this the Series 1. I feel the original reasoning behind the ‘series’ name is they would have kept the names. The Series 1 being the lower cost watch, Series 2 the higher end. When the new gen came out it would still be the Series 2. Had the Ultra then joined with this naming scheme it would be the Series 3.

Then it was ditched and they just stuck with an iPhone style numbering system for each new generation of watch, just prefixed with ‘series’.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
27 months ago
Still using my Series 3 and I feel like its gonna be around for a while.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cyb3rdud3 Avatar
27 months ago
Still use my Series 2. The extra water resistance has worked well over the years. It's been swimming with me in seas all over the world. It's proven a really tough and durable watch, which handily can pay easily as well, and performs reliably public transport transit mode as well around the world.

Still haven't seen anything in the newer versions that materially improves on my use cases for a watch.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)