Apple Watch Series 5
Our verdict
Repurpose it.
Its update days are over. Its useful days aren’t.
I
Give it a job
A sleep tracker, a bedside clock, or a spare for workouts.
II
Keep it off the open web
Without security updates, treat it as a single-purpose appliance rather than a daily browser.
III
Or let it go
Apple parts availability is winding down (vintage status). Trade-in value is modest — selling privately usually beats the quote.
VintageTops out at watchOS 10.6.1.
The record
Introduced
2019
Model identifier
Watch5,1, Watch5,2, Watch5,3, Watch5,4
Variants
40mm GPS · 44mm GPS · 40mm GPS + Cellular · 44mm GPS + Cellular · GPS · GPS + Cellular
Chip
Apple S5
Architecture
64-bit ARM
Latest official release
watchOS 10.6.1
With OpenCore Patcher
Not applicable
Security updates
Ended — watchOS 10 received its final security update in 2024 (last release 10.6.1).
Apple hardware status
Vintage — parts winding down
Data confidence
high
Common questions
What is the newest watchOS for the Apple Watch Series 5?
The Apple Watch Series 5 officially tops out at watchOS 10.6.1.
Is the Apple Watch Series 5 still getting security updates?
No. Ended — watchOS 10 received its final security update in 2024 (last release 10.6.1).
Is the Apple Watch Series 5 vintage or obsolete?
Apple classifies it as vintage: parts and service are winding down but may still be available.
The fine print
a
apple_device_models_2013_present.csv says vintage · task1_models.csv says current. We use: vintage.
Same shelf