The Apple Watch Series 3.

Seriously, what is Apple thinking? I’ve had mine since....well, since it was the latest thang. So while I bitch and moan and swear at it multiple times a week, I do this knowing that 1) it was once wonderful, 2) it felt lovely at the time, 3) it brought joy and 4) now, it’s old. Except, it isn’t. Some poor soul will pick one off a shelf in an Apple Store and walk out with it—today.

Oh, it still supports the latest OS, but: they’ve stopped adding watch faces; or complications; or any feature requiring (or not) the larger screen of later models. And as soon as an update comes out, that person, sporting a brand new watch, will hate Apple forever. Because even without any third-party apps, or pictures or podcasts or songs; even on a completely and utterly empty vessel of a watch, no update will install. Ever. There’s not enough storage. Apple’s solution? Unpair the watch, wait, then pair it again, wait, then install the update, wait, then unpair it, wait, then pair it, wait, then restore from backup, wait.

But wait (!)... That backup doesn’t include Apple Pay stuff, so cards need to be added and verified all over again. Every. Time. Unless you’re willing to stick around during the earlier steps, and go through the entire on-boarding process as soon as you can, and have no life, this takes at least half a day. I know because I just did it again (WatchOS 8.5). Hence the rant.

If you’re old enough to remember the iPod’s much vaunted halo effect: this is its polar opposite. A “new” Series 3 is a slap in the face, enough to prevent any buyer from ever touching another Apple product. There. I feel much better now.

Let’s get back to photography :)

P.S Of course, one day after writing this: Apple Watch Series 3 May Finally Reach Its End-of-Life