Apple Watch Series 3 Discontinuation Rumors... "Expected in Q3 This Year"

'Apple Expert' Guo Mingchi "Due to Processing Power Limitations"

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] It is predicted that the Apple Watch Series 3, released in 2017, will be discontinued after about five years since its launch. There are specific forecasts that the third quarter of this year is likely.

IT specialty media AppleInsider cited IT analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and others on the 21st (local time), stating, "The price advantage compared to the Apple Watch SE and others has weakened," presenting this outlook.

The Apple Watch Series 3, originally introduced as an entry-level wearable model, overlaps with the SE series, a successor with similar performance. The Apple Watch SE has a screen size about 30% larger than the Series 3, and shows improved performance in terms of display and other application (app) operations compared to the Series 3. The price difference is also only about $80, making it easy to replace.

There is also the issue of updates. Since the Apple Watch Series 3 has smaller storage capacity, users need to disconnect and reset the device to perform software updates. Due to processor limitations, the operation of Apple's smartwatch-exclusive operating system (OS), watchOS, is also restricted.

Ming-Chi Kuo of Taiwan's TF International Securities, known as an "Apple expert," also tweeted on the same day, "The Apple Watch Series 3 will reach the end of its life around the third quarter of 2022," pointing out that "its computational power is insufficient to support the new watchOS."

AppleInsider expects Apple to unveil three new Apple Watch models this year and believes that the discontinuation of the Apple Watch Series 3 is likely included in the plan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.