Apple Watch Series 3 could be discontinued in the third quarter of 2022, more than five years after its initial launch, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The analyst claims the device’s computing power cannot meet the requirements for newer versions of WatchOS.

Apple Watch Series 3 may go to end-of-life (EOL) in 3Q22 because the computing power can’t meet the requirements of the new watchOS.

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 21, 2022

The Apple Watch Series 3 came with the S3 chipset and is currently the oldest smartwatch in Apple’s portfolio to support WatchOS 8. Apart from the dated internals, the watch also features large bezels around its display: the last of its kind to do so.

In 2020, many users faced issues after updating the watch to WatchOS 7, with thousands of people on Apple forums complaining about the device randomly rebooting and freezing. Other issues also included the watch not being able to unlock Macbooks, battery drainage, higher load times for apps and reduced functionality.

According to Bloomberg, rumours suggest that the Apple Watch 8 will release alongside a new rugged model and a refreshed low-cost Apple Watch SE. While precious little is known about the upcoming series, Juli Clover of Macrumors suggests that Series 8 will look exactly like Series 7, even though Apple was reportedly working on a refreshed design with flat edges of the latest flagship iPhones and iPad Pro.

Some rumoured new features for Series 8 watches include user body temperature sensors, sleep apnea detection and car crash detection.

Apple has also patented and filed for patents for several watch technologies including skin-based biometric authentication that would allow users to authenticate devices just by wearing them and a self-tightening watch band that would automatically adjust itself during periods of intense activities like running or playing sports.

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