It was one of the most anticipated devices in recent Apple history.
But now, the tech giant has abandoned its second-generation Apple Watch.
It means owners of the $269/£269 device, released in 2016, will be left without Apple support if something goes wrong.
first noticed by MacRumorsApple has added the Apple Watch Series 2 to the official list of products considered obsolete.
Apple considers a product obsolete when it stopped distributing it for sale more than seven years ago.
It means that the device has lost support and is no longer eligible for repair at an Apple Store or an authorized third-party service provider.
Basically, it means that if the product stops working, Apple is under no obligation to fix it, making it little more than a relic of the past.
Apple explains on its website: ‘The products were considered obsolete when Apple stopped distributing them for sale more than 7 years ago.
Apple has once again updated its dreaded list of obsolete products, sending more technology to the trash (file photo)
Apple has sent its second-generation Apple Watch to the scrapyard. It means owners of the $269/£269 device, released in 2016, will be left without Apple support if something goes wrong.
‘Apple discontinues all hardware services for obsolete products and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products.
“Mac laptop computers may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period for up to 10 years from the last time the product was distributed for sale, subject to parts availability.”
At the time a long-awaited follow-up to the original Apple Watch, the second-generation model came with added waterproofing and built-in GPS.
MailOnline’s four-star review called it an “excellent smartwatch” with a strong improvement in battery life, but not “necessarily the radical redesign many expected.”
The aluminum and stainless steel variants of the Apple Watch Series 2, which originally sold for $269 (£269), are listed, meaning they are now obsolete.
However, the more expensive ceramic version ($369/£369) has yet to be added, meaning Apple should still serve it.
If you have this ceramic version of the Apple Watch Series 2, it may be worth getting repairs done as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Apple has listed two smartphones as “vintage”: the iPhone XS Max (released in 2018) and the iPhone 6s Plus (released in 2015).
Apple has also listed two smartphones as “vintage”: the iPhone XS Max (2018, pictured left) and the iPhone 6s Plus (2015).
‘Vintage’ means that Apple stopped selling it more than five years ago, and as a result, you may or may not be able to receive Apple services.
Although Apple releases several devices with feverish fanfare each year, many more are quietly consigned to the tech scrap heap.
But environmental campaigners believe a lifespan of less than a decade is unreasonable for a technological device that retails for several hundred pounds.
Tech companies, including Apple, have faced harsh criticism for fueling an “e-waste crisis,” with piles of electronic waste piling up in landfills.
After disposing of a device and heating e-waste, toxic chemicals are released into the air, damaging the atmosphere.
E-waste in landfills can also leach toxic materials into groundwater, affecting animals and plants.
“E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world and represents a global crisis,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Right to Repair campaign at the Public Interest Research Group.
“Companies that use software to prevent compatible replacement parts from fully functioning make this problem worse, while harming consumers and harming local repair shops.”
Earlier this year, Apple listed its latest iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle models, as well as the iPhone 6, as obsolete.
The tech giant sold several generations of the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle between 2005 and 2015, fondly remembered by music lovers and tech geeks alike.
The iPod Nano was marketed as the mid-range model of the iPod family, while the small iPod Shuffle was famous for coming without a screen.