tvOS, watchOS and old simulators are blacklisted in the tools

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/android/device_android.dart

@@ -392,6 +392,8 @@ class AndroidDevice extends Device {
 
   bool isConnected() => _connected ?? androidSdk != null;
 
+  bool isSupported() => true;
+
   void setConnected(bool value) {
     _connected = value;
   }

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/devices.dart

@@ -28,10 +28,12 @@ class DevicesCommand extends FlutterCommand {
       printStatus('No connected devices.');
     } else {
       printStatus('${devices.length} connected ${pluralize('device', devices.length)}:');
-      printStatus('');
 
       for (Device device in devices) {
-        printStatus('${device.name} (${device.id})');
+        printStatus('\t${_supportIndicator(device)}: ${device.name} (${device.id})');
+        if (!device.isSupported()) {
+          printStatus("\t\t${device.supportMessage()}");
+        }
       }
     }
 
@@ -39,4 +41,6 @@ class DevicesCommand extends FlutterCommand {
   }
 }
 
+String _supportIndicator(Device device) => device.isSupported() ? "[✔] Supported" : "[✘] Unsupported";
+
 String pluralize(String word, int count) => count == 1 ? word : word + 's';

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/commands/run.dart

@@ -179,6 +179,11 @@ Future<int> startApp(
     if (package == null || !device.isConnected())
       continue;
 
+    if (!device.isSupported()) {
+      printStatus("Skipping unsupported device: ${device.name}");
+      continue;
+    }
+
     printTrace('Running build command for $device.');
 
     Map<String, dynamic> platformArgs = <String, dynamic>{};
@@ -215,11 +220,7 @@ Future<int> startApp(
   }
 
   if (!startedSomething) {
-    if (!devices.all.any((device) => device.isConnected())) {
-      printError('Unable to run application - no connected devices.');
-    } else {
-      printError('Unable to run application.');
-    }
+    printError('Unable to run application. Please ensure that a supported device/simulator is connected.');
   }
 
   return startedSomething ? 0 : 2;

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/device.dart

@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ abstract class Device {
   /// Check if the device is currently connected
   bool isConnected();
 
+  /// Check if the device is supported by Flutter
+  bool isSupported();
+
+  // String meant to be displayed to the user indicating if the device is
+  // supported by Flutter, and, if not, why.
+  String supportMessage() => isSupported() ? "Supported" : "Unsupported";
+
   /// Check if the current version of the given app is already installed
   bool isAppInstalled(ApplicationPackage app);
 

packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/ios/device_ios.dart

@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ class IOSDevice extends Device {
   @override
   bool isConnected() => _getAttachedDeviceIDs().contains(id);
 
+  @override
+  bool isSupported() => true;
+
   @override
   bool isAppInstalled(ApplicationPackage app) {
     try {
@@ -291,6 +294,61 @@ class IOSSimulator extends Device {
     return SimControl.getConnectedDevices().any((SimDevice device) => device.udid == id);
   }
 
+  @override
+  bool isSupported() {
+    if (!Platform.isMacOS) {
+      _supportMessage = "Not supported on a non Mac host";
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    // Step 1: Check if the device is part of a blacklisted category.
+    //         We do not support WatchOS or tvOS devices.
+
+    RegExp blacklist = new RegExp(r'Apple (TV|Watch)', caseSensitive: false);
+
+    if (blacklist.hasMatch(name)) {
+      _supportMessage = "Flutter does not support either the Apple TV or Watch. Choose an iPhone 5s or above.";
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    // Step 2: Check if the device must be rejected because of its version.
+    //         There is an artitifical check on older simulators where arm64
+    //         targetted applications cannot be run (even though the
+    //         Flutter runner on the simulator is completely different).
+
+    RegExp versionExp = new RegExp(r'iPhone ([0-9])+');
+    Match match = versionExp.firstMatch(name);
+
+    if (match == null) {
+      // Not an iPhone. All available non-iPhone simulators are compatible.
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    if (int.parse(match.group(1)) > 5) {
+      // iPhones 6 and above are always fine.
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // The 's' subtype of 5 is compatible.
+    if (name.contains('iPhone 5s')) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    _supportMessage = "The simulator version is too old. Choose an iPhone 5s or above.";
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  String _supportMessage;
+
+  @override
+  String supportMessage() {
+    if (isSupported()) {
+      return "Supported";
+    }
+
+    return _supportMessage != null ? _supportMessage : "Unknown";
+  }
+
   @override
   bool isAppInstalled(ApplicationPackage app) {
     try {