Older Apple Watches Will Get Stiffed on New Watch Faces in watchOS 6

If you want to use all of the cool new watch faces in watchOS 6, you’ll need to have an Apple Watch Series 4 — or upgrade to one.

The upcoming watchOS 6 update introduces six new watch faces that sport a deeper level of customization than previous options. Unfortunately for owners of older Apple Watch models, all but two of those options will be limited to the Series 4.

For owners of the Apple Watch Series 3 and older, there will only be two new watch faces in watchOS 6: Numerals Mono and Numerals Duo.

Numerals Mono and Duo are fairly simple watch faces with several editable elements.

Users will be able to change between analog and digital clocks, as well as edit the typeface, color and other aesthetic options.

Unfortunately, neither watch face supports complications.

If you do have a Series 4, you’ll be able to use the four other watch faces: California, Gradient, Modular Compact and Solar Dial.

• California: This face features a vintage analog watch style. You can edit the time indices, overall design, color, and complications.
• Gradient: Gradient is a fairly minimalist watch face that supports a wide variety of colors and design options, including a full-screen mode and a circular mode. Only the latter supports complications.
• Modular Compact: Modular Compact is similar to the Infograph Modular face introduced in watchOS 5. You can choose between an analog or digital clock and the face also supports a wide variety of complications.
• Solar Dial: Solar Dial is kind of like a blend of the classic Solar face and the Infograph face. It tracks the location of the sun, but features a total of five complication slots.

It isn’t uncommon for Apple to restrict watch faces to certain models. Special edition Apple Watches, like Nike or Hermès variants, include exclusive watch faces. Apple’s last watch update, watchOS 5, included an Explorer face that’s only available on the Series 3 and newer.

The new faces won’t be the only watchOS 6 features restricted to the newest model, either. For example, environmental noise detection will also be limited to the Apple Watch Series 4.

Apple did warn users that this might be the case, however. On the watchOS 6 webpage, Apple notes that “not all features are available on all devices.”

watchOS 6 itself will be compatible with the Series 1 through Series 4. It’s currently in beta testing and will launch to the public in the fall.