I have the Apple Watch Series 4 that I bought sometime in 2018. Can you believe it's now considered vintage? Seriously? It apparently no longer has updates.
Is Apple Watch Series 4 out of date? With the release of watchOS 11 this year, Apple has officially ended software support for the Apple Watch Series 4, which got watchOS 10 as its last major update. Jan 2, 2025
However, the Apple watch app says my watch is updated to 10.6.1. When I looked online, it said this was the latest Apple watch update. So I guess I won't get anymore updates after this one.
And now comes the problem. All of a sudden, my watch started dying on me. What the heck!?! I pressed the side button to turn it off and then turned it on again. And I got this red lightning thing.
So I put it back on the charger and charged it to 100% and it did the same screwy thing. I also saw this weird thing, but I don't know what it means. Maybe that I'm supposed to charge an already charged watch?Aaaarghhh!
Art felt my watch was too old. Seriously? He offered to buy me a new updated watch since his watch which was a Series 3 also couldn't hold a charge and kept dying on him.
I was so aggravated, I searched online and saw LOTS of people complaining about this problem. They said it was with the latest update that caused it. Arrrghhh! It also said I need to unpair and then pair my watch again to my iPhone.
I then had to look up how the heck I UNPAIR and then Re-PAIR my watch to my phone.
I won't write about it here, but if you have this same problem, you can just click on this website link.
Voila! Would you believe my watch is keeping its charge again? 😄
Oh wait... You mean I don't get to have a new watch?
POSTSCRIPT: I tried the same thing with Art's Apple watch Series 3 but it did not work. Ah well... I guess his watch really was just too old. It might be foretelling my needing a new watch soon though.
Remember the days when you could use your watch just to tell time and it lasted decades?
This isn't about a watch but a similar (?) problem. In my AOL mail I have gotten a piece of spam that is blocked by a filter but no little box to check to delete it. I think this has also become too old to be supported. I emailed the company - if that is what it is - and have not heard back. So all this technology is supposed to make life easier????
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: I’m really wondering the same thing. Maybe I don’t need this watch technology….
DeleteThis drives me crazy. I have had hundreds of $ of equipment go obsolete bc companies refused to update the software. I have had two Canon scanners that became no longer supported. I did find third party software for the second one, but I had to buy their software at a fairly hefty cost. As far as the watch goes, I expect you’ll have to bite the bullet sooner or later Actually, if it is that old, I am surprised that the battery hasn’t given up the ghost.
ReplyDeleteyep. my cell phone is 2019 and doing the battery - charging dance. tried a watch that was supposed to read glucose nope, a big lie. my plain nurse watch is 25 years old and has always behaved. take ur son-in-law with u to get and transfer a new watch. i cringe and just stand there at cell phone switches. i'll get correct ty[ing again when i start rehab for left rotator cuff surgery. no fun. but gotta get ready to be granny by end of September! linda KS
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: I’m so excited for you, Linda. You are going to be the BEST grandma ever. But yes, you need to get yourself healed so you can carry your grandchild without pain.
DeleteThus far, I have refused to buy a "smart" watch. It just seems redundant with my "smart" phone and one more expensive thing to go wrong.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, I try to delay getting updates as much as possible. I see too many issues like this happen where people rush to get or have their software update automatically and problems arise until a patch is created to fix the update. I'm sure I open myself to some security risk for hacking but I don't keep sensitive information on anything electronic and haven't been hacked yet in all these years.
I did finally by a Garmin cheap smartie watch just to track my hikes. It does the job and irritates me when it vibrates to let me know I have a message or email. It is the first watch I've had in 10 years. I had to wear a not smart watch for 11 years while working security.
ReplyDeleteI do like the fact I didn't have to adjust it to Daylight Savings Time.
You are sounding quite technical Kay, good for you. And glad your watch is working again.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a smart watch, so I'm not exactly sure how they work, but when I started having similar issues with my iPhone I removed all the non-essential apps. That worked temporarily, but eventually I bought a new phone.
ReplyDeleteThere reaches a point, with all electronics, that the machinery itself can no longer accept or use the updated software. Yes, you have updated software, but the hardware has reached its limits. I totally understand your frustration as I have a beautiful MacBook Pro that I love but it's too old for new software.
ReplyDeleteI'll stick to a regular wrist watch. Don't need to be constantly connected.
ReplyDeleteI still miss Windows XP! I'm old school. I have a FitBit but no Apple Watch. Do you love yours?
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Hmmm…. You know what? I’m beginning to think I really don’t need it. 🙄 Once it dies, I think I’ll really try going without it to see if I like it. I have a Fitbit I use to check my sleep and that’s been working for a long, long time… way before my Apple Watch. And it’s smaller. I’ll have to really think this through before jumping back into the Apple Watch.
DeleteI clearly remember having the same watch for many, many years. It was a fine speciment that my doting father bought for me. I still have it in a drawer, as I cannot bear to part with it. (Don't tell JG this; he is big into downsizing these days. Downsizing MY stuff.)
ReplyDeleteMy old Timex wrist watch is doing just fine. I did need to replace the battery a year ago. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have one of those old fashioned watches that are strapped to my wrist. It has hands and numbers. (The watch not my wrist). I don't need to wear a teeny computer on my arm, far too complicated. I like a simple life. If this watch dies, I'll get another one, $11.95 at the nearby drug store!
ReplyDeleteApple is fairly notorious for doing this to their customers. Got to feed the greed machine
ReplyDeleteI read an article that a lot of manufacturers from fridges to tech have a planned obsolescence for their products. In the good Ole days they aimed for the longest life, now it's the opposite. They just manufacture stuff for a certain shorter life, assuming the consumer will replace it. I remember my ex-FIL had a 20 year old simple Maytag washer that just kept going. Now it's maybe 8 years. Remember the old lonely Maytag repairman. He's retired now! I use to go through appliances like crazy but that never happened in my parent's day. Tech is even worse! Computers are dinosaurs at 5 years. It's too rapidly changing. I miss my old Seiko 20 year self winding watch. Sigh. -BB
ReplyDeleteI totally think you’re right. We bought a freezer some 40 years ago in Illinois and it’s still running. My daughter said our son-in-law wanted to get a new freezer but then they decided not to until the day our freezer gives out. They say appliances have a 10 year life now. Pathetic! We had a Maytag washer that lasted at least 3 decades too. Sigh… Those were the days.
DeleteOops! This is me, Kay.
Deletesounds like some built in obsolesence so they can sell more watches.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather was an horologist. I wonder if he would be fascinated or appalled at the state of his art these days.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a smart watch. I get too dirty and would probably remove it and lose it.
ReplyDeleteLast year I learned of solar wrist watches. I got two. The sun keeps them going without winding or batteries. Not Apple but good working watches.
ReplyDeleteKay, I didn't wear a watch at all for years after retirement. Then my oldest son gave me an Amazfit, which is an inexpensive smart watch (about $35) that does almost all the things Apple's smartwatch does... but isn't a phone. It does alert me to phone calls which is great, but I have to find my phone to talk. And mine is just basic. The new ones can do even more. But I use mostly the sleep info as well as the step counts and not the other stuff. But I've had it for years and it still works well.
ReplyDelete"Remember the days when you could use your watch just to tell time and it lasted decades?"
ReplyDelete... yes, weren't they great! Like phones that were just used as phones!
I'm not really into 'tech' and thankfully do not have a smart watch!
All the best Jan
Everything is becoming obsolete. The technology, however, is amazing. I don't have one, but my kids do!
ReplyDeleteMaybe this is just the Android, Apple hater in me but why buy something that lets you down?
ReplyDelete