Earlier sport loops contain magnets?

[nattK]

I was looking through Apple's support article on band interference with the compass in the Series 5 and came across this:

Earlier Sport Loop watch bands use magnets or magnetic material that might interfere with the Apple Watch compass. The compass isn't affected by Sport Loop bands introduced in September 2019.

How and why do pre-2019 sport loops include magnets? Aren't they just nylon fibers, velcro, and plastic? I can't see why there are magnets in the pre-2019 sport loops. Magnetic nylon fibers?

 

[YatBob]

Isn't then band attached magnatecially, I remember reading somewhere in the past that when you pushed the band release tab you were releasing the magnet, if so wonder what the difference is in the 2019 bands

 

[staggerlee41]

I'm scratching my head on this one. Clearly the Milanese and Leather Loops have magnets, those are obvious, but I can't say that I recall seeing a magnet in any part of the pre-2019 Sport Loops. It would be interesting to hear what customer support has to say about this.

 

[xraydoc]

I was looking through Apple's support article on band interference with the compass in the Series 5 and came across this:



How and why do pre-2019 sport loops include magnets? Aren't they just nylon fibers, velcro, and plastic? I can't see why there are magnets in the pre-2019 sport loops. Magnetic nylon fibers?

The end cap that covers the free end of the sport loop contained either a piece of metal or a magnetized piece of metal underneath/inside the plastic. I discovered this by accident when a magnet near my wrist stuck to the end of the sport loop I was wearing.

Apparently the new ones that came out with the series 5 don't contain this piece of metal underneath the plastic.

Whether it's enough to interfere with the compass significantly, that I don't know.

 

[supertomtom]

The end cap that covers the free end of the sport loop contained either a piece of metal or a magnetized piece of metal underneath/inside the plastic. I discovered this by accident when a magnet near my wrist stuck to the end of the sport loop I was wearing.

Apparently the new ones that came out with the series 5 don't contain this piece of metal underneath the plastic.

Whether it's enough to interfere with the compass significantly, that I don't know.

I’m curious as to what the function of that piece of magnet is for. I can’t think of any mechanism in which it would help with securing the strap.

Apple must have had their rationale for doing that I guess. How strange.

 

[xraydoc]

I’m curious as to what the function of that piece of magnet is for. I can’t think of any mechanism in which it would help with securing the strap.

Apple must have had their rationale for doing that I guess. How strange.

Again, don't know if it's an actual magnet or just a piece of metal. Haven't had time (or inclination, actually) to test it.

 

[CarlJ]

The end cap that covers the free end of the sport loop contained either a piece of metal or a magnetized piece of metal underneath/inside the plastic.

Interesting find! I just tested this with a Black Sport Loop (from when they were first released), and a Cape Cod Blue Sport Loop (so, pretty recent, but not after the Series 5 release), and they both quite readily stick to the magnet on my Milanese Loop. Not sure why they're like that, but they are. They don't seem to try to stick to the rest of the band, so, ferrous, but not magnetized.

A small rod of ferrous metal in that end piece... could be a stiffener, or to anchor the end of the nylon material before/while molding on the plastic bit. It's possible it's there simply to make production easier (some tool/jig latching onto the end using a magnet), but that doesn't seem very likely.