Popular Apple device is now OBSOLETE – and it will leave users without any support if something goes wrong

It was one of the most highly anticipated devices in Apple’s recent history.

But now the tech giant has sent its second-generation Apple Watch to the scrap heap.

It means owners of the $269/£269 device, which was released in 2016, will be left without any support from Apple if something goes wrong with it.

First noted by MacRumoursApple has added the Apple Watch Series 2 to the official list of products it considers outdated.

Apple considers a product obsolete if it stopped distributing it more than seven years ago.

This means the device is no longer supported and is no longer eligible for repair at an Apple Store or an authorized third-party service provider.

Essentially, this means that if the product stops working, Apple has no obligation to fix it – making it little more than a relic of the past.

Apple explains on its website: ‘Products are considered obsolete if Apple stopped distributing them more than seven years ago.

Apple has sent its second generation Apple Watch to the scrap heap. It means owners of the $269/£269 device, which was released in 2016, will be left without any support from Apple if something goes wrong with it

“Apple is discontinuing all hardware services for legacy products and service providers will not be able to order parts for legacy products.

“Mac laptops may be eligible for an extended battery-only repair period of up to ten years from the time the product was last offered for sale, subject to parts availability.”

At the time a long-awaited successor to the original Apple Watch, the second-generation model came with extra 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 were hoping for’.

The aluminum and stainless steel variants of the Apple Watch Series 2 – which originally retailed for $269 (£269) – are listed, meaning they are now outdated.

However, the more expensive ceramic version ($369/£369) has yet to be added, meaning Apple still needs to provide services for it.

If you have this ceramic version of Apple Watch Series 2, it may be worth getting any repairs taken care of as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Apple has listed two smartphones as ‘vintage’: the iPhone XS Max (launched in 2018) and iPhone 6s Plus (launched in 2015).

Apple also listed two smartphones as ‘vintage’: the iPhone XS Max (2018, pictured here on the left) and iPhone 6s Plus (2015)

“Vintage” means that Apple stopped selling it more than five years ago and as a result may or may not be able to receive Apple services.

While Apple releases several devices each year amid feverish fanfare, even more are quietly consigned to the technology scrap heap.

But environmentalists believe that a service life of less than ten years is not reasonable for a technical device that costs several hundred euros.

Technology companies including Apple have faced fierce criticism for fueling an “e-waste crisis,” with piles of electronic waste accumulating in landfills.

After a device is thrown away and e-waste is heated, it releases toxic chemicals into the air that damage the atmosphere.

E-waste in landfills can also seep toxic materials into groundwater, affecting animals and plants.

“Electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world and represents a global crisis,” said Nathan Proctor, senior director of the Public Interest Research Group’s Right to Repair Campaign.

“Companies that use software to prevent compatible spare parts from fully functioning are making this problem worse, while harming consumers and undermining local repair shops.”

Earlier this year, Apple listed its last-ever iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle models as obsolete, as well as the iPhone 6.

The tech giant sold several generations of the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle between 2005 and 2015 – fondly remembered by music lovers and tech fans alike.

iPod Nano was marketed as the mid-range model in the iPod family, while the small iPod Shuffle was famous for coming without a screen.