Long-term Apple user here (Mac, iPhone, iPad), was curious about the watch. I found a nice deal yesterday for a Series 9, bought it, unboxed. Started to pair it to my iPhone 8, the pairing requires iOS 17 🤦♂️
Going to return it tomorrow, it has been fun reading ya all!
Lol, had the same thing happen to me. However, I already wanted to upgrade my iPhone 8 after 5 years of service, so in the end it just hastened the whole process.