HyperLink for Apple Watch Review: A Quality Stainless Steel Link Bracelet at Sport Band Pricing

[JustThinkin']

I'd never thought about it this way before, but Apple's "fashion" pricing on the Watch and bands is nothing short of an admission that few people actually need the watch.

Virtually every other Apple product can be easily justified as needed by a large percentage of customers. The only arguably unnecessary products are items like the Apple TV and iPod - also their lowest priced products.


The Watch is an unneeded high-priced product - not a good formula for mass production or high-volume sales.

 

[Gunner49]

As per the user feedback comments, the guys at HyperLink decided to move the logo inside the band.
Here is what they had to say "Based on the feedback so far, we will most likely move the logo inside the band."

Good news I should say!

 

[ryanide]

I bought this one, direct from HK. Incredible quality for $35!! Easy payment and quick shipping.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-...minum-Metal-Watchband-Buckle/32368201627.html

No reason to re-invent the wheel. There are plenty of stainless band options, if you look in the right place.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

The logo on the band is kind of hideous... also, why does it say "Gmobi" instead of "HyperLink" or "Hyper", you know, the name of the company or product?

Better would be just moving the logo to someplace where it would never be seen while it's worn.

The band looks ok, but that logo automatically kills it. Plenty of alternatives that don't have a huge logo on the clasp.

WTF were they thinking of putting that ugly GMobi logo that has no connection to anything? Who is GMobi?

The fact they put that on tells me they don't pay attention to the design and the details. On their kickstarter page, they ignored it like it is nothing and said they might put Kickstarter logo on instead. They loses all creditability for me.

I own the apple link bracelet, I gotta say this doesnt look nearly as good But for the price, I guess its ok. But they made one major bummer with that logo. WHy the heck? Apple dont even show the apple logo more than nescessary, which is a logo you can wear with pride. These bracelet makers clearly dont understand apple customers.

seems they've heard this feedback loud and clear.

 

[wlossw]

I bought this one, direct from HK. Incredible quality for $35!! Easy payment and quick shipping.
View attachment 577174

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-...minum-Metal-Watchband-Buckle/32368201627.html

No reason to re-invent the wheel. There are plenty of stainless band options, if you look in the right place.

I looked at that on Amazon. The pics of the band mounted on the watch make the lugs look funny. Can you post yours mounted for us to see?

 

[Jonny1989]

Looks cheap AF and then you see that logo on that looks like some Alibaba watermark. Didn't think too much of it till I read the comments.

 

[macs4nw]

May I just say, ew ew ew ew eeeew. I am lucky to own a (black) stainless steel link bracelet and I find this gross.

I agree. It looks cheap and doesn't ooze precision craftsmanship, but that's reflected in the price of course.

 

[Rumread]

How did you check HYPER/Sanho's reputation to come to the conclusion that they have a "reputable track record"? If you look into the comments of their crowdfunding campaigns, their funders seem to come to a different conclusion: Scam!
Some supporters claim that Sanho collects crowdfunding money, but are just reselling products developed by others.
Sanho's iStick? See this press release from PQI: PQI announces PQI Gmobi iStick:http://www.pqigroup.com/news_in.aspx?mnuid=1326&modid=236&nid=409
Other ones trying the same trick:
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ry-expansion-for-ipad-iphone-ipod/description
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekbok/idrive-flash-drive-for-peace-with-apple-vs-android
And you can buy something that looks exactly like it here: http://gptodtetch.manufacturer.glob...G/1106499751/Gmobi-iStick-USB-Flash-Drive.htm
Pearl: Campaign on Kickstarter as well as Indiegogo, need to develop twice?
Apple Watch Band: The campaign renderings and press release photos have no logo, but the band suddenly has one? With another name? They claim that Gmobi is their brand, but: https://trademarks.justia.com/858/03/g-mobi-85803638.html

 

[Amplelink]

This band looks very similar to bands already available on Amazon. And they want $50,000 just to make them available? It sure looks like they're just sourcing the band from some other manufacturer rather than actually making their own product.

That might be exactly what they're doing. But their supporters won't care and that's all that matters.

 

[Amplelink]

How did you check HYPER/Sanho's reputation to come to the conclusion that they have a "reputable track record"? If you look into the comments of their crowdfunding campaigns, their funders seem to come to a different conclusion: Scam!
Some supporters claim that Sanho collects crowdfunding money, but are just reselling products developed by others.
Sanho's iStick? See this press release from PQI: PQI announces PQI Gmobi iStick:http://www.pqigroup.com/news_in.aspx?mnuid=1326&modid=236&nid=409
Other ones trying the same trick:
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...ry-expansion-for-ipad-iphone-ipod/description
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/geekbok/idrive-flash-drive-for-peace-with-apple-vs-android
And you can buy something that looks exactly like it here: http://gptodtetch.manufacturer.glob...G/1106499751/Gmobi-iStick-USB-Flash-Drive.htm
Pearl: Campaign on Kickstarter as well as Indiegogo, need to develop twice?
Apple Watch Band: The campaign renderings and press release photos have no logo, but the band suddenly has one? With another name? They claim that Gmobi is their brand, but: https://trademarks.justia.com/858/03/g-mobi-85803638.html

Wow, good catch.

 

[keigo]

they are a crappy company which cannot even fulfill their past kickstarter project by taking idea from a 3rd party and re-send it as their own.

I avoid their product at all cost.

 

[HiRez]

It already looks a bit cheap without the logo, but the logo makes it look like it should come in a clear plastic blister pack hanging near the checkout line.

 

[roland.g]

All they've really done is take an existing band and make integrated adapters. The HOCO has improved. But it still looks quite a bit like a band slapped on to a Classic Buckle adapter. At least with this they made an adapter that flows into the band. They just didn't design a new band. They designed the adapter around an existing band structure.

I got one of the Apple link clones that use the pins to separate the sections. I love the ingenuity of the Apple band but honestly won't need to resize more than the first time. So I don't really need that feature from Apple. The clone has a butterfly clasp but not quite as nice as Apple's. But it is also $80 v $450 and I won't feel so bad when it starts to scratch. I've heard that Apple's link band scratches up and while that happens a lot to all my other metal watch bands, their intricacies somewhat hide the wear, whereas the Apple link band is so simple it reveals the scratches more.

 

[macs4nw]

I bought this one, direct from HK. Incredible quality for $35!! Easy payment and quick shipping.
View attachment 577174

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/New-...minum-Metal-Watchband-Buckle/32368201627.html

No reason to re-invent the wheel. There are plenty of stainless band options, if you look in the right place.

Stainless Steel-Aluminum?.... I didn't even know that existed. But I gotta say this looks better than that HyperLink band..... Will it stand up to sweat etc. though?

 

[selfsilent]

Stay well clear of Hyper. They take something that is already made from another company and pretend they are going to make it and stick it on KickStarter. They did the iStick that took so long to ship, other companies had released the same thing for a lot lot less and the software that they apparently made for it doesn't really work.

Then they blew everything out the water with a groundbreaking product. A compact mirror and a belt buckle that you can recharge your phone with. Typical Chinese crap.

 

[Col4bin]

Ugly. But hey—to each his own, right?

 

[jonatron]

Awful... That logo is terrible. I wouldn't even pay $5 for that.

 

[Bako-MacAddict]

Not a fan of kickstarter 1/3 projects I backed were good. One of them was a successful. Excellent quality. No complains, happy camper. Second project, quality was crap. Third, scam lol.
I'm done with Kickstarter.

 

[inscrewtable]

It is easy to see by the photos that the tolerances are low enough to make it look like the $10 Casio bracelet that it is. The clasp looks like the cheapest engineering possible and the logo completes what is a truly gruesome insult to the Apple Watch.

 

[ScholarsInk]

Hello 60's... Or 50's...
It fits Apple Watch perfectly. Jony Ive is ashamed he didn't design it.

The iconic 60s watch bracelet is the mesh/Milanese actually.

As for the original MR post, this watch nerd must politely point out that Rolex doesn't do five-link bracelets.

 

[pgiguere1]

Wow, this looks nothing like what they promised on Kickstarter.

For reference:

The actual metal looks very cheap. Too glossy and the brush grain is too big. I thought a finer brushing, which gives it a more uniform and matte look, looked better.

The worst offender remains the GMobi logo though. It's apparently another brand they own offering mobile internet services. You're basically wearing an ad on your wrist. This wasn't even specified in the Kickstarter campaign. What a scam. Now the creator says he may use a different logo or move it inside but it's not even a guarantee.

Overall it doesn't look like a Kickstarter project, more like a $10 Alibaba product.

 

[Mactendo]

Thank you for the info on mesh bracelet. So this one must be from 40s or 30s then...

The iconic 60s watch bracelet is the mesh/Milanese actually.

As for the original MR post, this watch nerd must politely point out that Rolex doesn't do five-link bracelets.

 

[iKaushal]

I had backed this for the black color one....but after seeing similar stuff at half price on ali express, I am quite convinced that this is not as good as it seems.

I withdrew my pledge.

 

[Jan NL]

I'm still waiting for my band ...

 

[TVDinner]

I have this bracelet and have to be 100% honest - I like it a lot. Compared to the other 5 after market bracelets I have purchased it is pretty nice, again, at least to me. Most people who comment on it say it is the nicest after market bracelet option they have seen to date.

Of course I am always looking for new bracelets, but I am happy with this one so far.