Looking to fix an old Apple Watch? You may just be given a Series 2 instead

Do you own a broken, older Apple Watch? If you've got the original or a Series 1 device that you're looking to get repaired, you may well find the official repair shop you go to just upgrades you to an Apple Watch Series 2 instead.

That's according to a series of internal documents - found by MacRumors - that have been shared with Apple Authorized Service Providers. Those are third-party repair stores that are directly approved for repairs by Apple.

It's expected this would also be shared with Apple Stores, so you'd likely get a similar experience at an Apple Genius Bar as well.

This only applies to the first generation Apple Watch or the Series 1 device in the 42mm configuration. There's no mention in the documents of any generation of the 38mm Apple Watch being covered, or the 42mm version of later generations such as the Series 2 or Series 3.

Repair care

The repairing issues seem due to a shortage of parts used in the 42mm versions of the original generations of the Apple Watch. The note says it's only a temporary measure that's only set to last until April this year.

The note mentions this is the case for the US and some other countries, but MacRumors hasn't confirmed the exact list of countries, so we're not sure if the UK and Australia are currently covered.

Via 9To5Mac

James Peckham

James is the Editor-in-Chief at Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.

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