Apple Watch Series 1
The original design with a faster dual-core chip at a lower price.
Overview
Apple Watch Series 1 was a quiet refresh that arrived alongside the waterproof Series 2. Outwardly it matched the 2015 aluminium model, but the new S1P processor gave it a dual-core CPU that Apple said was up to 50 percent faster.
It skipped GPS and swim-ready water resistance, which kept the price down to $269 at launch and later $249. Buyers still got the heart rate sensor, the Force Touch display and the redesigned watchOS 3, which made apps launch from a Dock and fixed much of the sluggishness of the original software.
Because it was cheaper and shared the case design of the first watch, Series 1 stayed on sale for two years and served as the budget option until Series 3 took over that role.
Why it mattered
Gave Apple a cheaper, faster entry-level watch and helped broaden adoption beyond early adopters.
At a glance
- Announced
- September 7, 2016
- Released
- September 16, 2016
- Discontinued
- September 12, 2018
- Launch price
- $269
- Chip / processor
- Apple S1P
- Display
- 1.32" / 1.5"
- Storage
- 8GB
- Status
- Vintage
Highlights
- Dual-core S1P processor
- Same case and bands as the original
- Optical heart rate sensor
- Ran watchOS 3 and later
- Aluminium only, 38 and 42 mm
Tech specs
Specifications as published at launch. Some values (like battery life) are manufacturer estimates.
Display
- Case sizes
- 38 mm and 42 mm
- Type
- Retina OLED with Force Touch
- Brightness
- 450 nits
Chip
- Chip
- Apple S1P dual-core
Memory
- Storage
- 8GB
Health
- Sensors
- Optical heart rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor
Battery
- Battery life
- Up to 18 hours
Connectivity
- Cellular
- No
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g (2.4 GHz)
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS
- None (uses paired iPhone)
Design
- Materials
- Aluminium
- Water resistance
- Splash resistant (IPX7)
- Dimensions
- 38.6 x 33.3 x 10.5 mm (38 mm); 42 x 35.9 x 10.5 mm (42 mm)
Software
- Launch OS
- watchOS 3
- Maximum OS
- watchOS 6
