Do you think Apple makes more money from band/strap sales, or from the Watch itself?

[The Cockney Rebel]

I have now amassed 41 straps.

I’m pretty sure they amount to more money, than my Watch.

Being able to customise the look, and feel of my Watch, it never really gets boring.

What do you think?

 

[PackerBadger]

No idea. But I think its a great question.

 

[Analog Kid]

I've got two for my Ultra v1. I spent more on the watch, but I'm not sure which is higher margin for Apple. There must be a reason they keep refreshing bands throughout the year-- avid collectors such as yourself must be a significant revenue source. Whether it exceeds to watches themselves though? I hadn't thought about it.

 

[coffeemilktea]

I only ever buy third-party Apple Watch straps, so Apple definitely makes more money from the Watch when it comes to people like me.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I bet the profit margin is much higher for the bands.

 

[jz0309]

As in revenue or profit margin?
Revenue, 100% sure it’s the actual AW, margin, also 100% sure it’s the band.
Now, do we count the band that comes with the watch as part of the AW or as part of the bands?

 

[Lwii2boo]

If we are talking about %profit margin, I would say they have higher margin on bands than Apple Watch in aluminium.
But for the SS Apple Watch and Ultra one, the margin is higher than alu watch and probably most bands.

 

[Ameer_1]

I buy my bands from Aliexpress.

 

[skeptech]

I buy my bands from Aliexpress.

In your experience, how do the really cheap (presumption on my part, not intended as criticism!) Apple Watch bands sold on Aliexpress, or eBay, or Shein, or ... hold up over time?

I bought one such early days (2017) - a knockoff of the sport band with pin-and-tuck closure. The supposedly stainless steel base of the pin exposed to my wrist rusted/corroded within a month, and after that, I swore off cheap bands - Apple – as described in Wearing Your Apple Watch (what the bands are made of) – has been very careful w.r.t. the materials and potential allergic reactions for these products you're expected to wear nearly continuously, and – for me – that care has value.

The other question aside from skin reactions is quality: good fit & finish? Durable?

It's not as if Apple doesn't goof (sometimes spectacularly; cf. FineWoven iPhone cases are very bad (TheVerge)), but as a friend once opined to me, "it's not 'you get what you pay for' - it's 'you get no more than you pay for'" (i.e., sometimes you get considerably less).

 

[boss.king]

In your experience, how do the really cheap (presumption on my part, not intended as criticism!) Apple Watch bands sold on Aliexpress, or eBay, or Shein, or ... hold up over time?

I bought one such early days (2017) - a knockoff of the sport band with pin-and-tuck closure. The supposedly stainless steel base of the pin exposed to my wrist rusted/corroded within a month, and after that, I swore off cheap bands - Apple – as described in Wearing Your Apple Watch (what the bands are made of) – has been very careful w.r.t. the materials and potential allergic reactions for these products you're expected to wear nearly continuously, and – for me – that care has value.

The other question aside from skin reactions is quality: good fit & finish? Durable?

It's not as if Apple doesn't goof (sometimes spectacularly; cf. FineWoven iPhone cases are very bad (TheVerge)), but as a friend once opined to me, "it's not 'you get what you pay for' - it's 'you get no more than you pay for'" (i.e., sometimes you get considerably less).

I have a bunch of very cheap sport loops in colours Apple had stopped selling. I think anyone but the most die-hard Apple Watch band experts would struggle to pick the fakes out of a lineup with genuine ones.

I have a genuine Nike one that came with my series 3 and a fake that I got for (I believe) $2 from aliexpress and other than minor differences around the lugs and some markings inside the band, they’re identical. I’d even go as far as to say the fake has held up slightly better over time, but I’m not 100% sure which has actually been used more.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I have one band. AW makes more money than bands.

 

[mansplains]

I'd wager most people stick to 1-3 bands, so the watch would be the money maker. However, it can depend on the band. You may have an AW SE with an Hermès band and the band has a far higher profit. Or AW SE with stainless steel link, etc. The bands themselves (aside from the steel link perhaps) can't cost more than a few pennies each, given the scale of production. I like my Ultra and want to get more bands than I have but $99 is too much, so I don't bother.

 

[toobravetosave]

ive purchased 1 velcro sports loop several years ago to replace the stock band that irritates my skin

i will buy a replacement when it fails

they clearly make plenty on whales like you however

 

[Heindijs]

Of course they do. But no person with average income has money laying around for 41 $50+ bands, so most who for example buy an SE just buy more bands on AliExpress. I know my mum does.

 

[Howard2k]

I have only purchased third party bands. Whenever I sell my old watch I keep the original Apple band and sell the watch with a third party one.

So for me, from Apple's perspective, watches only. No additional bands.