Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System

[jz0309]

If Apple does this, there will be plenty of third-party adapters that will allow you to use current bands with the new watches. It's just too big of a market to ignore.

an adapter needs space, so bands would not really fit anymore... but sure, they would come

 

[mk313]

The biggest issues with the Apple Watch are NOT the freaking bands... it's with battery life and buggy software. THAT is what needs to be addressed.

There is no way in hell I'm going to ditch bands that I am satisfied with, in order to use a newer watch that may or may not have a better battery and still may have a glitchy operating system.

And price increases on top of that!

Refocus, Apple. PLEASE.

The article does state that this is being done to allow more space for a larger internal battery.

 

[MiamiFL]

This would really piss off those of us that have Hermes Apple Watches with a very expensive Hermes band collection.

 

[CWallace]

If it is "just about forcing everyone to buy new bands", why would Apple have waited thirteen generations to do so?

If that was the goal, the Series 13 would be the third or fourth model to do this, not the first.

 

[mk313]

an adapter needs space, so bands would not really fit anymore... but sure, they would come

If you have a sport loop, it might not fit, but all of the other ones would still work. you might need to use a different hole or remove a link, but they should still hold the watch to your wrist comfortably.

 

[p96]

Dare I hope the new design ends Jony Ive's blob & squircles design language?

 

[Umacga]

If Apple does this, there will be plenty of third-party adapters that will allow you to use current bands with the new watches. It's just too big of a market to ignore.

I'm sure they're working on Rosetta3 for WatchOS 28 that will provide a software solution to using older bands.

Seriously though, I totally understand being upset that you've got an expensive band that can't be used in the future. On the other hand, this is why I've never bought an expensive band for my Apple Watch. It's not a piece of jewelry (despite Apple's "Edition" nonsense), its a functional gadget. I have a nice swiss watch that I bought a $1000 band for a while back, because it will last forever (or at least for the rest of my life, and then however long my kids decide to keep it). Obviously nobody's really expecting an Apple Watch to last a lifetime.

But it's understandable that at some point, they may need to change up the design. And it is also quite believable that the current design, which is a good one, is holding back further development. It's not reasonable to insist that they're now stuck with their original design forever just because people are locked into old products.

 

[jz0309]

This is one of the reasons I never bought the iWatch.

no surprise, cause there is no "iwatch" to begin with ...

 

[iSuzan]

Well, this year a new watch with a new chip and then again 3 years time to think about the next watch. And who knows what is in 3 years.

 

[HouseLannister]

Are you saying that Apple needs to use the system they came up with the Original Apple Watch for all eternity?

Unless it is adding pogo pins for data or some such, there isn't much reason to ever change it. This reminds me of how the auto industry needed to change door handles because the design was "old." Not every change is an improvement.

 

[jz0309]

Apple had the perfect opportunity to change the band attachment system when the Ultra was introduced, that didn't happen as we all know, so ...

After dropping watchos27 support for the various 3+ year old watches, Apple already upset a lot of folks, changing the band attachment for "change sake" would alienate a whole lot more people ...

 

[Apple MessagePad]

Remember when there was claims of a major redesign with the "Apple Watch X" back in 2023?

And then a redesign claim in 2025?

Or a couple months ago when y'all claimed no major redesign?

 

[Finalcountdown]

I’d be so pissed if they broke band compatibility. I’ve got like 40 of them; I definitely wouldn’t want to keep buying more if I thought they could become obsolete with a new watch design. I’d get myself a S11 and ride it till the wheels fell off and then, who knows?

I hope this is as true as the last time the rumor bubbled up

I doubt most Apple Watch owners have more than one or two bands that they probably bought on Amazon for $12 a pop. So I don’t think the bands are really locking people in.

The lack of software updates on $800 devices after 3 years, that’s the main issue for me.

 

[BGrifter]

Every couple years I look into an Apple Watch but talk myself out of it.

Stuff like this makes me glad I stuck with my Seikos and Casios. My NATO straps all still fit.

 

[jarman92]

It now looks like this redesign could simply have been delayed, rather than shelved entirely.

Mark Gurman is never wrong, merely too prescient! 😂

 

[CarAnalogy]

Starting price of $1000, plus you will need to buy a stack of new bands.... No thanks after screwing me on the software updates on my Ultra 1 I am getting a nice mechanical watch next.

I must admit to some schadenfreude seeing people finally on my page about Apple abandoning devices. They've done this to me a few times. Welcome to the club.

 

[Arran]

What if the new watch is an additional model and the current form factor keeps evolving alongside it in parallel?

 

[svish]

While a redesign might be good, I don't like to see a change to the band system. Possible that it can be released along with the 20th anniversary iPhone.

 

[Artemiz]

WE DON'T NEED A NEW BAND SYSTEM! Thank you.

Millions of wrist bands going to waste just because of Apple's greed. So much for environmental awareness...

What do you expect them to do? Never innovate?
They kept the same band design since the beginning for 12 years now. If they can find a better design to accommodate for new features, then they're going to. You can't keep making the watch bigger. The extra space has to come from somewhere.

 

[imola.zhp]

We sure hear this one a lot. Don’t we?

Just every year, not that much really. 🤪

 

[jbachandouris]

Was looking to get out of Apple Watch anyway.

 

[BigMcGuire]

How many years of rumors of a new band attach system? I believe it when I see it...

Apple would shoot themselves in the foot if they did this, unless, a new watch would be round... so here you go, another rumor

Agreed.

It's not going to happen. The pushback would be very embarrassing and there really is no compelling need for a change. I'm suggesting this is effectively click-bait. It worked though. I clicked to make this reply
🙂

Also agreed. Macrumors sure has really enjoyed the Apple Watch threads recently. Hope they're benefiting - seems to draw out the Pro-Apple users 🙂.

This is one of the reasons I never bought the iWatch.

So Apple Watch has been around for 11 years and the rumor (not fact) that a new watch is coming out with a new band system (not the first time this has happened) is why you never bought an Apple Watch? Uh huh. Alrighty.

 

[bluecoast]

I wonder if they'll put some tech in these new bands?

It would be a way to decrease the depth of the watch and make the functionality more modular.

And potentially drive more $ to Apple, as buying a new watch is a tough sell, but buying a new (cheaper than a new watch) band which adds functionality to your watch, might drive a lot of sales.

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Makes perfect sense: just bork the band system for funsies.

 

[jorgeandresf]

as a user of the Apple Watch I've collecting over the years multiple watch bands, and spent over $2k on bracelets, changing the band system will make really hard for me as a consumer to rebuild my band collection or justify to buy the new watch.