Own an original Apple Watch? You won't be able to download watchOS 5

OG Apple Watch is left in the dust
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Apple has announced the next version of the Apple Watch's software, watchOS 5, but if you're wearing an original Apple Watch you won't be able to download it.

Although this wasn't mentioned at the keynote, a press release from Apple confirmed that "watchOS 5 will not be available on the original Apple Watch", leaving owners of the OG model behind. Just a reminder: Series 1 is actually the second version Apple Watch launched.

Read this: What's new in watchOS 5

It seemed like only a matter of time before older Apple Watch models were left high and dry. In fact, this isn't the first time early adopters have been snubbed - some of the heart rate features introduced in watchOS 4 also didn't work with the original model.

Of course, iPhone users are used to it - Apple has put older handsets out to pasture as it's continued to iterate iOS - but the Watch is only a little over three years old.

Not to mention that it's an expensive, and more personal, gadget lacking a compelling upgrade program. It's the classic problem of obsolescence, and there's no doubt that this is all because the old hardware just can't handle the update, but Apple needs to be careful that it doesn't start turning people off its smartwatch.

Own an original Apple Watch? You won't be able to download watchOS 5


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Hugh Langley

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Now at Business Insider, Hugh originally joined Wareable from TechRadar where he’d been writing news, features, reviews and just about everything else you can think of for three years.

Hugh is now a correspondent at Business Insider.

Prior to Wareable, Hugh freelanced while studying, writing about bad indie bands and slightly better movies. He found his way into tech journalism at the beginning of the wearables boom, when everyone was talking about Google Glass and the Oculus Rift was merely a Kickstarter campaign - and has been fascinated ever since.

He’s particularly interested in VR and any fitness tech that will help him (eventually) get back into shape. Hugh has also written for T3, Wired, Total Film, Little White Lies and China Daily.


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