watchOS 27 is out, and it needs iOS 27 on your iPhone first

Update your iPhone before your watch. If the paired iPhone cannot run iOS 27, the watch will not get watchOS 27, however new it is.

By iDeviceSep 14, 12:35 PM CTUpdated Sep 15, 11:49 AM CT3 min read

Ask about the Apple Watch Series 12

Can it get wet (shower, pool, swimming)? Yes, you can shower and swim in it. It is rated to 50m, and for snorkelling. Its rating is WR50, IP6X.
Does it read blood glucose? No, it has no glucose sensor.
How long does the battery last? It runs 24 hours. That is 38 hours in low power mode, and 24 hours at most.
Does it track sleep apnea? It looks for signs that you may be at risk. It is a signal to act on, not a diagnosis.
Does it work with my phone? It works with an iPhone only. There is no Android app.
How much storage does it have? It comes with 64GB of storage.
Does it do 5G? Yes, it does 5G.
How heavy is it? It weighs 31.5g to 52.9g. The weight varies by size or finish.
What sizes does it come in? It comes in 42mm or 46mm. There are 2 case sizes, and the bigger one usually lasts longer between charges.
How sharp and bright is the screen? The screen reaches 2000 nits at its brightest. It packs 326 pixels into every inch.
How thick is it? It is 9.7mm thick.
What chip is inside? It runs on S11.
Which AI assistant does it use? It uses Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.
What software does it run? It runs watchOS 27.
What is it made of? It is made of Aluminium, titanium or ceramic.
What kind of screen is it? It uses always-on ltpo3 oled, 1hz refresh, 2,000 nits peak.
Does it track sleep stages? Yes, it tracks your sleep stages.

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Apple released watchOS 27 today for the Series 9 and later, the Ultra 2 and later and the SE 3. The big addition is Siri AI, and it is the same assistant Apple ships on the iPhone in iOS 27, so you can hold a back-and-forth conversation with it on your wrist. Workout Buddy also stops needing your iPhone nearby, and Cycle Tracking can now alert you when your cycle patterns suggest perimenopause.

Before you can install it, your paired iPhone has to be an iPhone 11 or later running iOS 27. That applies to a brand new Series 12 or Ultra 4 exactly as it does to an old watch. The Series 8, Series 7, Series 6, the second-generation SE and the original Ultra are all dropped. Keep the watch at least 50 percent charged and on its charger, then open the Watch app on the iPhone and go to General and Software Update.

Update, Sep 15, 11:49 AM CT: Gadgets & Wearables confirms that Readiness and Recovery HRV stay limited to Series 12 and Ultra 4, even on older watches running watchOS 27.

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