Apple to Drop Software Support for 16 Devices This Fall, Ending Intel Mac Era

At a glance:

• Apple will drop software support for 16 devices this fall across macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS
• Apple Watch Series 6, 7, 8, Ultra (1st gen), and SE (2nd gen) will be excluded from watchOS 27
• Intel Macs including MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Pro won't support macOS 27, ending the Intel era

The software support cuts were announced alongside macOS 27 Golden Gate, iPadOS 27, tvOS 27, and watchOS 27 at WWDC 2026. Interestingly, iOS 27 maintains identical device compatibility with iOS 26, meaning no iPhone models are being dropped, and the HomePod lineup remains unchanged as well.

This represents one of the most aggressive device culling campaigns in Apple's recent history, particularly for the Apple Watch platform. The company is simultaneously ending support for three consecutive generations of wearable devices while pushing users toward hardware equipped with S9 or S10 chips.

The Apple Watch lineup faces the steepest reductions, with watchOS 27 dropping support for Series 6 (2020), Series 7 (2021), Series 8 (2022), the original Apple Watch Ultra (2022), and the second-generation Apple Watch SE (2022). This wipes out three launch generations at once, marking the largest loss of backward compatibility for the platform to date. Previously, watchOS 26 supported Series 6 and later, SE (2nd generation) and later, and all Ultra models.

iPad users will also face significant changes as iPadOS 27 raises the minimum hardware requirement to the A14 Bionic chip or M1 chip. Five iPad models that currently run iPadOS 26 will lose support: the iPad Air (3rd generation, 2019), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation, 2018), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation, 2018), iPad (8th generation, 2020), and iPad mini (5th generation, 2019). This represents a more aggressive cut than iPadOS 26, which only removed the 7th generation iPad from the previous compatibility list.

The most symbolically significant change is the end of Intel Mac support in macOS 27 Golden Gate. Four remaining Intel machines supported by macOS Tahoe won't make the cut: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019), MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports), iMac (2020), and Mac Pro (2019). Apple indicated last year that macOS Tahoe would be the final release for pre-Apple silicon Macs, making macOS 27 the official conclusion of that era.

Apple TV users will need to upgrade as tvOS 27 drops support for the Apple TV HD (2015) and the first-generation Apple TV 4K (2017). Only the 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TV 4K models will receive the update, leaving owners of older hardware without access to the latest software features.

While affected device owners aren't completely abandoned, Apple typically continues issuing security patches for the previous OS version for at least a year after it's superseded. However, access to the latest features and functionality will require upgrading to newer hardware. The new operating systems are expected to launch in September following an extended beta testing period that begins after the June WWDC keynote.

For users with compatible devices, the transition means access to new features and improvements. For those with unsupported hardware, it represents both an encouragement to upgrade and a potential security risk if older devices fall behind on updates. Apple's decision reflects the company's ongoing strategy of balancing innovation with hardware longevity, though this year's cuts are notably more aggressive than in previous releases.