At up to 18,000 euros, the original Apple Watch is the second most expensive device Apple has ever sold. The normal version was extremely popular at launch. However, this is no reason for the company to keep the smartwatch alive.
The first generation Apple Watch, also known as “Series 0,” was released in 2015. It was essentially a test run for a smartwatch fully integrated into iOS. Just a year later, Apple released the Series 1 and Series 2, thus starting the naming system we know today.
Apple is ending support for “Watch Series 0”.
The original Apple Watch was only on the market for about a year and a half, sales ran until September 2016. The watch continued to receive regular watchOS updates until 2018, the last version available is 4.3.2. This means that the “Series 0” has received the shortest software support of all Apple Watches to date: three years and four months.
The smartwatch has now been unavailable for seven years. According to Apple’s guidelines, this is the point at which a product is classified as discontinued or “obsolete”. The company is thus discontinuing all hardware support – i.e. repairs – for the device. If owners of the original Apple Watch were previously able to contact support and have Apple carry out a repair outside of the warranty, this is no longer possible. The company no longer provides spare parts, repairs or replacement equipment.
Most expensive Apple Watch ever
Apple has not yet updated the corresponding support page with the information that the Apple Watch “Series 0” has been discontinued. However, the news portal “MacRumors” reports an internal note that the smartwatch has been on the list of “obsolete” products since September 30th.
The “Series 0” came in a 38 mm and a 42 mm version, which were available with both aluminum and stainless steel cases. There was also a Hermès version at the start. The first generation of Apple Watch is the only one that was available with an 18k yellow gold case. The impressive price for the “Edition” version with a leather strap: 18,000 euros. However, like all other versions, this one is now “obsolete”.
Here’s why a luxury smartwatch isn’t a good idea
“Luxury watches are considered investments that, with proper care, do not lose value but gain value. The edition variants of the original Apple Watch were undoubtedly considered luxury smartwatches with prices between 12,000 and 18,000 euros. The problem with this, however, is that, unlike an analog watch, a smartwatch is not built to last forever. While the latter ideally does not lose functionality after decades, the Apple Watch example shows that even a premium manufacturer is not willing to keep a luxury watch alive. With watchOS 4.3.2, the smartwatch hasn’t really been usable with an iPhone for years and the lack of GPS makes it unsuitable as a standalone. Now, in addition, Apple itself no longer offers repairs. This means: no replacing the display or battery. The battery in particular is the first component to go in an eight-year-old smartwatch. Even if you just keep your expensive yellow gold Apple Watch in a display case, you run the risk of the battery swelling and the case prying open.” – Adrian Mühlroth, editor