With the launch of other models at the Apple event in New York on Tuesday, Apple also released its latest iOS 12.1 and watchOS 5.1 software updates. But the latter seems to be a little disappointing for the users as several users are reporting that their Apple Watch Series 4 units have seemingly been “bricked” after installing the update.
A small number of users has taken to Twitter and Reddit to report that their Apple Watch has been bricked after updating to watchOS 5.1, getting stuck on the Apple logo. Restarting the Apple Watch and paired iPhone doesn’t seem to fix the issue and some users have been waiting several hours to avail.
Within hours of the release, one user took to Reddit to post a photo of their Apple Watch Series 4 that shows the Apple logo and has seemingly not wakened up since installing the update. This post attracted dozens of other users who report the same issue on different configurations of the wearable.
Apple has currently suspended the update and is working on a fix to roll out watchOS 5.1 to all eligible Apple Watch models soon. While no clear timelines have been given, we can expect the fix to arrive in the next week or so.
The update lacks ECG support which was a major selling point of the Series 4 but has not been included since the wearable first shipped on Sept. 21. The technology relies on electrodes built into the base and the digital crown, allowing it to operate like a single-lead ECG sensor. This can be used to detect signs of atrial fibrillation, though Watches like the Series 3 can still perform this to a lesser degree.
We yet wait for Apple to acknowledge the issue that the users are facing. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be a solution to the problem. Apple has pulled the update and re-release it at a later date.
