Here’s Why Your Apple Watch Won’t Get New Siri AI

While Apple executives are openly praising the Apple Watch as the ultimate place to use the new Siri AI, millions of  Apple watch users are about to find themselves locked out of the experience.

In a recent interview with TechRadar, Apple senior watchOS team members shed light on how the system operates and addressed the elephant in the room i.e. why so many older Apple Watch models are being left out.

Cait Dooley, Apple’s Product Marketing Manager for Apple Watch and Health, along with watchOS executive Alex Clark, explained that the wearable is central to the company’s broader artificial intelligence strategy. According to Clark, one of the primary goals of watchOS 27 was to expand the intelligence story on Apple Watch and make it a true co-partner to Apple Intelligence.

Because a smartwatch is always on your wrist, it serves as an incredibly accessible microphone for quick voice commands. Clark noted that when you are on the go or have your hands full, interacting with the watch is often the most convenient way to talk to Siri.

The excitement, however, cools down quickly when looking at the compatibility list. The new Siri AI features will only be supported on the Apple Watch Series 9 and later, the Ultra 2 and later, and the newly announced SE 3.

This means that if you bought a premium Apple Watch Ultra or a Series 8 just a few years ago, you are officially out of luck. The cutoff feels particularly sharp to many Apple fans because Siri AI on the watch is not a standalone feature. It also requires a nearby, paired iPhone that is compatible with Apple Intelligence to handle the heaviest computational lifting

When pressed on why older hardware cannot handle the feature if a connected iPhone is doing the heavy work, the Apple team kept the technical details vague.

Dooley stated that Apple prioritizes power and performance with every software release. She added that the capabilities of Siri AI and the new tap gestures simply work best with the processing power found inside the S9 and S10 chips.