Is there any apple watch that will pair with my Iphone SE 1st generation running IOS 15? It seems that in earlier versions of IOS it was possible, but now I am afraid Apple may have locked us out of pairing with any apple watch, even though the processor and software qualify. I've found language saying you must have an Iphone 8 or newer, and running IOS 16. I hope there is an exception to this - anyone know?
iPhone SE
Any new Apple Watch Apple sells today will come with WatchOS 9, which means all new Apple Watches sold today, will only pair with a newer, more modern iPhone capable of running iOS 16. Which as you've learned means you'd need an iPhone 8 or newer.
If you want to buy an Apple Watch today, you'll need a newer iPhone.
You could if you want, purchase a used Apple Watch, but I honestly wouldn't recommend doing so. Daily someone comes here who bought a used watch, which is activation locked, and they threw their hard earned money away on a useless device.
Folks on this forum struggle to pair old watches to newer phones, some are able to while others can't. I haven't figured out the rhyme or reason yet.
What you have read about the need for an iPhone 8 with iOS 16 seems to be a fact in relation to the latest watches (Series 8, Ultra, and the SE 2nd Gen watch).
Iphone SE 1st Generation and Apple Watch compatibility
