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Many Apple Watch Bands and Bundles Currently Listed as 'Sold Out'

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Over the past few weeks, some Apple Watch wearers have noticed that a growing portion of Apple's band inventory has been marked as "sold out," with many styles, sizes, and colors, now included in that group.

While Apple has made it clear that its first foray into fashion accessories will follow a "seasonal" cycle, with certain styles leaving its store forever once sold out, the array of bands unavailable on the store paints an erratic picture of shortages from all three of the Apple Watch's seasonal collections: Spring 2015, Fall 2015, and Spring 2016.

applewatchbandtypes-800x299.jpg

Tracked in the U.S. on both Apple.com and the Apple Store iOS app [Direct Link], the Classic Buckle currently has the most significant stock shortage of any of the Apple Watch bands, totaling 13 out-of-stock color options in both the 38 mm and 42 mm sizes. The smaller 38 mm wrist size option is the most affected, with only one band -- Saddle Brown -- available to purchase. Behind Classic Buckle, the Sport Band has 12 out-of-stock options on Apple's store, the Modern Buckle has four, and the Leather Loop has three, with varying sizes affecting availability for the latter two bands.


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Article Link: Many Apple Watch Bands and Bundles Currently Listed as 'Sold Out'
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/06/29/apple-watch-bands-bundles-sold-out/
Best Buy sells all of the newer bands. Even if on BestBuy.com it says sold out, they can usually still order it for you in the store.
 
keysofanxiety said:
Low stock means upcoming refresh! C'mon new watch bands.
Click to expand...

Or, per the article...

MacRumors said:
It's also been contemplated whether this could be early inventory shuffling ahead of the Apple Watch 2, expected to launch sometime around the iPhone 7 in the fall, with the potential for all-new band lugs making first-generation Apple Watch bands incompatible with the new wearable.
Click to expand...

While the article goes on to imply that's not likely, it's not ruling it out completely. Hopefully, it is simply style line turnover than selling out of inventory in anticipation of a physical change that begs for re-buying favored band designs that fit the "2."
 
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magicschoolbus said:
I'm not an apple hater. I just think the watch and all its bands of glory are really, really, really stupid.
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You're right. 60% of the fledgling smartwatch market is completely irrelevant. And you think including wheelchair features is stupid too, because you don't need a wheelchair. Meanwhile Apple on the other hand created a fashionable piece of technology that in the future will be a health device for millions of healthy people and people with conditions such as sleep disorders, diabetes and other ailments. I don't wear watches myself (I don't like things on my wrist), but it's impossible to deny the importance of this device going forward. But to be fair, you think it's "really, really stupid", so there's that.
 
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What's odd is that the new Hermes colors were just recently announced, along with the ability to buy the bands separately. However, the only ones available in the 38mm are Fauve Barenia and Capucine, with the latter a 2-3 week wait.
 
Whatever the case may be, it's par for the course. Fashion is only fashion if it continously renewed.
Some may even become collectibles.
And if the lugs needed to be modified that's also par for the course for technology. The true crossroads of Art & Technology.
Only the people who live to be outraged and have a daily quota could be miffed.
Especially when everyone knew the deal with the first gen Watch. I high-fived everyone who bought one for beta-testing it for me. You are awesome.
Can't wait to get my hands on the second gen version.
 
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Mac Fly (film) said:
You're right. 60% of the fledgling smartwatch market is completely irrelevant. And you think including wheelchair features is stupid too, because you don't need a wheelchair. Meanwhile Apple on the other hand created a fashionable piece of technology that in the future will be a health device for millions of healthy people and people with conditions such as sleep disorders, diabetes and other ailments. I don't wear watches myself (I don't like things on my wrist), but it's impossible to deny the importance of this device going forward. But to be fair, you think it's "really, really stupid", so there's that.
Click to expand...

60% is not a fact. You just made it up.
Wheelchair users might have more practical things to worry about than children's watch straps.
"Fashionable and technology" are mutually exclusive.
"In the future" is anybodies guess and not a fact.
"A health device for millions of healthy people" has no function.
Sleep disorders are not affected a watch.
Daibetes is prevented by not eating so much glop not by handing over your cash to Apple.
"other ailments" is too vague to comment on.
"really, really stupid" is right on the money describing the watch and the deluded who buy it. So in that rather negative respect it is the right product for that particular market.

p.s Just at this moment I do need a wheelchair.
 
If and when a new watch comes I sure hope that this doesn't mean older bands won't be usable. As chunky as the watch itself is I imagine Apple could make it quite a bit thinner before having to abandon the old watch band interface (for lack of better words). Hopefully they are actually treating this as an interface and we see it going on for many years; I actually think that could/would promote sales going forward. It has to hurt collecting dozens of bands only to be rendered obsolete within two years.
 
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Goodness there's a color in the Nylon bands that's already unavailable? This is starting to remind me of how things are with Mattel and American Girl Dolls. For those of you who don't know, these are ridiculously expensive dolls. Like Apple, they are considered high quality and come with really excellent customer service that includes repair and maintenance and an excellent warranty. The dolls and their stuff are meant to be heirlooms.

Each ridiculously expensive doll has a collection of equally ridiculously expensive accessories that is impossible to complete because there are too many things and they are too pricey. Kids have to save up allowances or wait for holidays and birthdays to try and complete a collection. Adult collectors often have to pace their purchases out in a similar fashion.

It didn't used to be too bad because the dolls and the accessories tended to stay around for a few years. But Mattel bought the company and accelerated the release and retirement cycle to a dizzying pace and scheduled oddly timed sales. The product line was never known for being sold at discount before and people have gotten angry over missing sales and trying to time purchases to match sales, only to find no availability. Now there are a lot of frustrated kids and collectors and a sense of "wth is going on?"

This seasonal crap is so pretentious. Just settle on some colors for the year or at least a full half of the year and stick to keeping the offerings in stock for the entirety of the six months.

It is confusing and frustrating to find a band I like, go to order it, see that there's a long wait for it to become available, go on with my life, go back to check and see oh, oops, I missed it while it was available. I'm not going to go hunt all over Best Buy and a Target, either. Screw it, I will be wearing the bands that came with my watch and the few I bought before Apple lost its collective mind and be done with this goofiness.
 
Mac Fly (film) said:
You're right. 60% of the fledgling smartwatch market is completely irrelevant. And you think including wheelchair features is stupid too, because you don't need a wheelchair. Meanwhile Apple on the other hand created a fashionable piece of technology that in the future will be a health device for millions of healthy people and people with conditions such as sleep disorders, diabetes and other ailments. I don't wear watches myself (I don't like things on my wrist), but it's impossible to deny the importance of this device going forward. But to be fair, you think it's "really, really stupid", so there's that.
Click to expand...

Ouch, you sound offended over my opinion. There is nothing groundbreaking about this device.

Fashionable? Yeah, okay. Its a black square on a piece of rubber.
 
If this means they are phasing out the Apple Watch, then, sadly I think it's for the best.

Like Apple Pay, it is clear that it hasn't been the success that Apple would have hoped and expected it to be.
 
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