Apple Watch Series 1 is a smartwatch that was designed, manufactured, and sold by Apple from 2016 to 2018 as a part of the Apple Watch series. This Watch has been introduced on September 7, 2016, and released a week later on September 16, 2016. The price of the new Watch started at $269.
Apple Watch Series 1 comes only in the Aluminum finish but was available in four colors: Silver, Space Gray, Gold, and Rose Gold. Each of these versions has been prepared in two sizes, a smaller 38 mm case and a bigger 42 mm case, and paired with color matching bands.
Apple Watch Series 1 has been introduced alongside Apple Watch Series 2. At the September Event company announced that the original Apple Watch is getting a Dual-Core processor and now is called Series 1.
The Series 1 except for the new processor, is the same as its predecessor and comes with all features at a new lower price. Apple decided to introduce this version of the Apple Watch for at least two reasons. Firstly, to introduce new naming of generations as “Series”, secondly to keep the existing product in a portfolio as an affordable option for customers.
When it comes to specifications, Apple Watch Series 1 has been equipped with a gorgeous OLED Retina display with Force Touch technology. The 38 mm version features a 1.5-inch display, and the 42 mm version features a 1.65-inch display on a diagonal. This Watch is powered by an Apple original system-on-chip Apple S1P to provide the best performance.
The device features as well a 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, a Taptic Engine to provide natural feedback, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, NFC technology for Apple Pay, a heart rate sensor, a gyroscope, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, wireless charging system, water resistance with IPX7 certificate, and more. The battery in the Apple Watch lasts for up to 18 hours of use.
After two years, Apple has released a new generation of Apple Watch. On September 12, 2018, this model has been discontinued and has been made unavailable to order in Apple Store anymore. Of course, you can still buy Apple Watch Series 1 from other sellers. This Apple Watch has been replaced by Apple Watch Series 4. Software support for this Apple Watch ended with watchOS 6.2.8.
Today Apple Watch Series 1 is 6 years old!

Apple Watch Series 1 Release Date and Original Price
Introduced | September 7, 2016 |
Released | September 16, 2016 |
Discontinued | September 12, 2018 |
Model Identifier | Watch2,6 (38 mm) Watch2,7 (42 mm) |
Model Number | A1802 (38 mm) A1803 (42 mm) |
EMC | 3102 (38 mm) 3103 (42 mm) |
Generation | 2nd |
Order Number | 38 mm Aluminum MNNG2LL/A, MNNJ2LL/A, MNNH2LL/A, MP022LL/A, MQ102LL/A 42 mm Aluminum MNNL2LL/A, MNNN2LL/A, MNNM2LL/A, MP032LL/A, MQ112LL/A, MQ122LL/A |
Price | $269 (38 mm) $299 (42 mm) |
Colors | Silver Space Gray Gold Rose Gold |
Case | Aluminum |
Weight | 0.88 oz. – 24 Grams (38 mm) 1.06 oz. – 30 Grams (42 mm) |
Dimensions | 1.52” H x 1.31” W x 0.41″ D (38 mm) 3.86 cm H x 3.32 cm W x 1.04 cm D (38 mm) 1.65” H x 1.41” W x 0.41″ D (42 mm) 4.19 cm H x 3.58 cm W x 1.04 cm D (42 mm) |
Predecessor | Apple Watch |
Successor | Apple Watch Series 4 |
Tech Specs
Processor
Processor | Apple S1P |
Processor Speed | 520 MHz |
Architecture | 32-bit |
Number of Cores | 2 |
Memory
Memory | 512 MB of RAM |
Storage
Storage | 8 GB |
Display
Display Materials | Ion-X glass |
Display | 1.5″ OLED Retina Multi-touch Display (38 mm) 1.65″ OLED Retina Multi-touch Display (42 mm) |
Display Size | 563 mm2 (38 mm) 740 mm2 (42 mm) |
Resolutions | 272 x 340 (38 mm) 312 x 390 (42 mm) |
Brightness | 450 cd/m2 |
Pixel Density | 326 ppi |
Input
Input Method | Digital Crown Multi-Touch Force Touch Digital Touch Side Button |
Sensors
Sensors | Ambient light sensor Heart rate sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope |
Tactile Feedback | Taptic Engine |
Connections
Wi-Fi | 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz |
NFC | NFC for Apple Pay |
Location | None (utilizes GPS in paired iPhone) |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 |
Audio In | 1 – Microphone |
Audio Out | 1 – Speaker |
Software
Original OS | watchOS 3.0 |
Maximum OS | watchOS 6.2.8 |
System Requirements | iPhone 5s or later |
Intelligent Assistant | Siri |
Power
Battery | Built-in rechargeable Lithium-Polymer |
Battery Capacity | 205 mAh (38 mm) 246 mAh (42 mm) |
Battery Life | Up to 18 hours |
Power | Apple 5 W or 12 W Power adapter |
References:
Apple Support – Apple Watch Series 1: Technical Specifications