And the new bands will cost more. Probably double the price. Thats how Apple raises prices.
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Report: Apple Watch Redesign Coming Next Year With New Band System
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slippery-pete
macrumors 68030
Absolutely shocked. This board complaining about rumors of a yet to be released Apple product!!!!!
The only smart stuff I kept are my iPhone and Macbook. Everything else is gone even the stupid smart home stuff.
BigMcGuire
macrumors G4
Maybe it's just me but as a 2012 member this stuff gets old fast, especially the anti-Apple outrage about something that hasn't even happened. lol
S9 is covered by WatchOS 27 if that's what you're referring to. Old Watch models get discontinued as new ones get introduced, so you mean supported by software updates? Not much to miss however given how minimal these software updates are on WatchOS.
And no one is forcing you to do anything.
And finally Apple would have kept the band design the exact same for 12 years by then (if rumour is true). That's incredibly long for a tech device, considering it covers the first generation. Do you know any other smartwatch brand that has done the same?
transpo1
macrumors 68000
It's a great band— I have it for my Ultra 3 as well. No chance I'll upgrade in the next 2-3 years if they change the band system.
terrywfoster
macrumors 6502
Now that my watch can’t update any longer I won’t be purchasing another one. I’ll need the money saved from not purchasing a new watch to pay for a new iPhone 🤣
slippery-pete
macrumors 68030
Same. I have been a member since 2007 and this board has been taken over by complaining and negativity.
Can you imagine these people in real life???
HowEver
macrumors 6502a
"Leakers" promise so much that if 1 of 100 rumours are right they can cite that, incorrectly, towards their credibility.
BigMcGuire
macrumors G4
It's my favorite band as well - feels amazing to wear (and I have arm hair!). I highly doubt Apple is going to change watch bands, this isn't the first time these "rumors" have come out.
The Milanese loop and the Titanium loop bands are amazing. My wife has the former and I have the later. They last forever too. Went white-water rafting a few weeks ago with a dude wearing his Milanese loop and Apple Watch, lol. He has worn his for many years.
blcamp
macrumors 6502
I honestly don’t see how modifying the band connection mechanism can accommodate larger batteries.
sjsharksfan12
macrumors 68030
Did they ask Octavia Spencer about this wasteful spending of bands? Hopefully they continue making bands for the old models. I’m not planning get get rid of this series 11 watch for a while.
jbachandouris
macrumors 603
I know right? It’s been out for how many years. It’s never been called an iwatch. SMH
mjs916
macrumors 65816
My SE 1 works great after requesting a battery swap. Shouldn’t the “Forced. Upgrades.” have kicked in by now?
I’m not on current software and haven’t been for almost 2 years but that doesn’t mean it stops working.
Completely a-band-oning such a lucrative accessory market (every current Apple Watch owner over the last decade is a potential customer) in a short time frame to “force” upgrades would upset shareholders more than excite them.
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BeerDrinkerDan
macrumors regular
anthony13
macrumors 65816
changing the bands on Apple Watches is lame. it undermines the legacy of the product and cheapens the brand in my opinion. then again I'm pretty sure it will make them tons of money. I just feel like watches are supposed to be timeless in a sense. I know it's not a sound model, but in my mind any new Apple Watch should be a new design. the year over year obsolete model for a watch is just odd to me.
but again I get it, money. and also the whole health angle of the device (which is awesome for those that want and use those features) has no appeal to me, and that seems to be the entire basis for every update other than battery.
but again I get it, money. and also the whole health angle of the device (which is awesome for those that want and use those features) has no appeal to me, and that seems to be the entire basis for every update other than battery.
BeerDrinkerDan
macrumors regular
When I look closely I can see the cylindrical cut-outs where the band slides in. If those are no longer necessary then that means there are a few millimeters to be gained on each end of the watch. That leaves more space inside for stuff like a bigger battery. Volume-wise those cut-outs account for a lot of space IMO.
-bdd
erikkfi
macrumors 68000
I have no idea, but just from looking at the watch on my wrist, the connector does cut pretty substantially into the edges of the watch. If they are indeed moving to a magnetic connection, it would open up a decent amount of space on both edges of the watch.
I have no idea how a magnetic connection would work. Seems like lots of potential issues, but who knows.
LogicalApex
macrumors 68000
I'd imagine a new band would actually make upgrades even less likely. Unless they do some sort of adapter.
But Apple is known to blow things up whenever they feel like it. So I wouldn't put this past them.
Spinarelo
macrumors 6502
Folks with crazy band collections, I mean you had to know this day was coming eventually. You got 11+ years of backward compatibility on an accessory, that’s unheard of for an electronic product.
Also there is a 100% chance that you will see hundreds of cheap adapters on Amazon right away to continue using your legacy bands
I for one will be happy to get a new redesign finally, and as a bonus better battery life…. But then again I didn’t go crazy buying bands so not affected there
Also there is a 100% chance that you will see hundreds of cheap adapters on Amazon right away to continue using your legacy bands
I for one will be happy to get a new redesign finally, and as a bonus better battery life…. But then again I didn’t go crazy buying bands so not affected there
You could literally say that about every single product Apple makes. Apple is not interesting is serving the low end of the market. Their niche is higher priced products with premium features. If you only use it for health tracking, and price is your main concern, there are certainly way cheaper products to consider.