https://9to5mac.com/2021/05/05/opinion-its-time-for-apple-to-discontinue-the
-apple-watch-series-3/
Apple Watch Series 3 was announced in September 2017 alongside the iPhone 8
and iPhone X, and while it didnt come with a new design, Series 3 brought
important enhancements, like a faster processor and the cellular version.
Nearly four years later, Series 3 is still available in stores but perhaps
its time for Apple to discontinue it for good.
When Apple Watch Series 3 was introduced, it brought a long-awaited feature,
which is the ability to receive and make phone calls without an iPhone
nearby. Series 3 also features the S3 chip, which is 70% faster than the S2
chip found in the Apple Watch Series 2. While these were great improvements
at the time, it doesnt seem that the Apple Watch Series 3 has aged all that
well.
Even after the launch of the Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE in
September last year, Apple still sells the Apple Watch Series 3 as a cheaper
option of its smartwatch which starts at $199 in the US. However, the
decision to keep Series 3 for another year may not have been a good idea.
Why Apple Watch Series 3 is bad in 2021
Despite Apples efforts to keep the Apple Watch Series 3 updated with the
latest and greatest software, the hardware simply can no longer handle new
versions of watchOS. An article from
<https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/4/22419569/apple-watch-series-3-software-up
date-reset-bad-experience> The Verge published on Tuesday highlights exactly
what Im talking about.
Updating an Apple Watch Series 3 is a nightmare in 2021, says the
publication.
Honestly, I couldnt agree more. As the report points out, it has become
nearly impossible to install watchOS updates on Series 3 without having to
restore the entire device first. This is because the GPS version of the
Series 3 only has 8GB of internal storage, which is not enough to run
watchOS 7 with apps, music, and other user content.
I constantly hear from friends who own an Apple Watch Series 3 that they
always get the same error when trying to install system updates. watchOS
tells them that there isnt enough storage space, even when they dont have
any third-party apps installed or music stored.
<https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211283> According to Apple, the
not-so-user-friendly solution is to completely restore all Apple Watch data
and settings to install the latest version of watchOS.
And the issue seems to apply whether youve installed a pile of apps or not.
Apples support website doesnt even recommend that Series 3 owners bother
trying to clear up space it just advocates that they go straight to the
aforementioned reset cycle. Its clear that the current process is
untenable.
This only hurts the user experience
In addition to not delivering the experience users expect, Series 3 also
upsets some developers who are forced to support the old display form factor
in their apps even if they no longer run reasonably well in terms of
performance on Series 3. If the product can barely be updated without
relying on tricks and advanced settings, why does Apple still sell it?
Well, its hard to say because only Apple has the answer to that, but most
likely, the company wanted something to say that you can buy an Apple Watch
for just $199. Its definitely amazing to hear that theres an Apple Watch
that costs this cheap, but you shouldnt buy a Series 3 in 2021, even with
the lower price.
So what should Apple do now? If the company really cares about the user
experience, it should discontinue the Apple Watch Series 3 while it can. And
by that, I mean before it announces watchOS 8 at WWDC 2021. It makes no
sense to keep forcing users into a bad experience just to brag about the
$199 price tag or to say that older Apple Watch models can still get
software updates.
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