A proposed class action filed Aug. 12 in federal court in California challenges Apple’s decision to exclude five Apple Watch models from watchOS 27, including Series 6-8, SE 2 and the original Ultra.
Richard Goetz says Apple’s move amounts to “software tethering,” arguing the watches still function but will lose long-term value as future apps, features and iPhone compatibility move on.
The complaint says Goetz paid about $799 for an Apple Watch Ultra in December 2022 and would have paid less had Apple disclosed it would miss major updates less than four years later.
Apple has not yet responded, no class has been certified, and the watches are not disabled—they remain on watchOS 26 while newer models from Series 9 onward support watchOS 27.
SE 2 may pose the sharpest issue for Apple because it stayed in Apple’s lineup until September 2025, putting software-support transparency at the center of the case.