Yeah dunno why they just rehashed Storm Blue, unless they needed to match the Ultra 2 blue. Since Mike leaked the Ocean Blue sport loop, it’s looked very fall/winter.
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Every Apple Watch band Apple released. Ever.
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Raspberry on top of Red gen 1 braided and Dragonfruit. Such a nice bright pop of color!
Clay is pretty. I saw it on the Starlight case and then bought it. Although I was unsure at first because I already have similar ones (similar from my point of view 😅). But I think it's worth it.
Aaaaand relatedly, has anyone done a comparison photo of the new Soft Mint with its other light green cousins? I’m thinking/guessing Pistachio, Beryl, Turquoise, maybe Mint & Sprout Green…
I’m LOVING all the new colors 😍 and the in-person & comparison shots are giving me life until I can get my paws on some for my very self. 😄
Alpine Loop, Level 2 achieved!
Hat tip to @athousandbands for the heads-up on the Indigo eBay listiing!
Hat tip to @athousandbands for the heads-up on the Indigo eBay listiing!
Another look at Ocean Blue solo loop before I unpair SBSS for awhile
Can someone put Light Blue side by side with Sky Blue SB, please? They look pretty similar. Thanks.
I have Mulberry, it's such a nice colorPlum - Solo Loop x SS Graphite
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So I’ve always been a little sceptical of the ‘they’re about to change the connector’ theory, but after introducing a huge new range in September last year, and new ones in March - including brand new Hermes styles both times! - I’m curious about whether that has affected anyone else’s thoughts about the new model later this year being incompatible with bands to date.
Do you think, having just sold people a bunch of brand-new $500 Hermes bands, Apple is going to release a Watch in six months that won’t work with those? And having released new Ultra bands with the AWU2 in September, will they make existing Ultra 1/2 owners less willing to upgrade this year by making all those expensive bands unusable?
I’m not saying there’s no way they will - companies do weird things sometimes! And this community is not representative of all owners, who buy the Watch and have just one band (or maybe a nice one and a sport one) - but I’d think they’d have to make the new connector a massive improvement to be worth the sales they’d lose because of it.
Do you think, having just sold people a bunch of brand-new $500 Hermes bands, Apple is going to release a Watch in six months that won’t work with those? And having released new Ultra bands with the AWU2 in September, will they make existing Ultra 1/2 owners less willing to upgrade this year by making all those expensive bands unusable?
I’m not saying there’s no way they will - companies do weird things sometimes! And this community is not representative of all owners, who buy the Watch and have just one band (or maybe a nice one and a sport one) - but I’d think they’d have to make the new connector a massive improvement to be worth the sales they’d lose because of it.
I don’t see what the new connector would have to do with the old connector’s final season of bands. Apple is on earth to do one thing, make money.
And if you wanna say it’s something like “serving the customer,” having a weak selection of bands for the huge group of people (half still i think?) who are getting their first watch is not a good way to do business.
Because if you’re considering upgrading your watch at the end of this year, but then discover that the few thousand dollars you just spent on bands in the last 12 months is now incompatible, you might be less inclined to buy that upgrade now. Maybe you decide you can wait another year or two, without buying any more (old) bands in the meantime, to get the new watch that doesn’t work with your existing collection.
And I’m just wondering how Apple is factoring that into their thinking. Yes obviously they want to sell the existing bands for as long as possible, but they’d also have to weigh up how many people who do regular upgrades (every year or two) to their Watch and buy lots of bands will react to having a collection that’s now incompatible with the new model. Especially since they’ve gone out of their way to introduce a whole new range of their most expensive bands.
Not a question for @athousandbands specifically, but if you’re a Hermes owner who regularly upgrades, and who eagerly bought a Kilim or two and a Twill or Bridon or Tricot or two (let alone much more than this, which I know people here have done) between September 2023 and March 2024, would you still buy a new Watch in September 2024 that will render all of those unusable, along with all your other existing favourites?
I don’t think they think about collectors. I think they think about the people buying a watch every 3-5 years and no more than an OEM band or two a season at most.
If I bought my first watch in fall 2023 and Apple barely offered bands I would both still go and buy third party bands and then they change the connector and I just *never* get any bands?
Your scenario is just too convoluted for Apple to give up the massive profit from accessories.
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I agree with your take. Yes, Apple wants to make money but upsetting their most loyal customers (in terms of Apple Watch bands) would be idiotic. The implication would also be: don't buy extra bands, they will change the connector at one point like they did in 2024.
Either there is a new connector and that's somehow backwards compatible (like it always has been) or there is no new connector at all.
I am not a watch/band collector like some here in the forums, but I have a good collection by now, and also two watches I wear depending on the band and general attire.
My take on Apple potentially changing the band connector is this:
Let them do it if it makes sense from a technology standpoint, like it did when they introduced Lightning, and now with the switch to USC-C. New connectors on new devices in no way mean that I cannot use my old devices or old accessories anymore.
For a collector, all the old bands will be still compatible with older watches, so they can be worn. For people owning
hundreds of bands, I assume it's more like a vintage car collector, you own the thing to have it, but you rarely actually use it. So that an old watch band is not compatible with future watches does not really matter. I know it will not for me.
If I want to wear an older band, I will pair it with an AW9, fine. Newer bands will go with the AWX+ generations.
For non-collectors, this is even less of a hassle. They probably sell the old watch with whatever bands they have after upgrading, like they do with the bumper cases they might have for their phones. Does anyone complain that the cases they bought for an iPhone 13 no longer fit the 15?
My take on Apple potentially changing the band connector is this:
Let them do it if it makes sense from a technology standpoint, like it did when they introduced Lightning, and now with the switch to USC-C. New connectors on new devices in no way mean that I cannot use my old devices or old accessories anymore.
For a collector, all the old bands will be still compatible with older watches, so they can be worn. For people owning
hundreds of bands, I assume it's more like a vintage car collector, you own the thing to have it, but you rarely actually use it. So that an old watch band is not compatible with future watches does not really matter. I know it will not for me.
If I want to wear an older band, I will pair it with an AW9, fine. Newer bands will go with the AWX+ generations.
For non-collectors, this is even less of a hassle. They probably sell the old watch with whatever bands they have after upgrading, like they do with the bumper cases they might have for their phones. Does anyone complain that the cases they bought for an iPhone 13 no longer fit the 15?
I don't think Apple always thinks what the customer wants first. More like what Apple thinks the customer should like. Why, for example, women (at least here in Germany) felt like 50% bought the Gold/Pink Sand Apple Watch. And what does Apple do even though it sells like sliced bread? That's right, they're taking them out of the program. I think (and fear) it could be the same with the Bands and connectors . And at least with understandable technical justifications.
Agree with a lot of what you said. I have two series 9 watches right now. I plan on keeping one and trading one in when the new watch comes out. I'm hoping they don't change connectors, but if they do I will have a series 9 that I can wear all of the old bands with. I do not agree with your comparison of Watches and iPhone cases though. The bands are needed to use the watch (although a band comes with a purchase). The phone cases are optional and not required to use the phone. The bands have been compatible since the first watch, there is a precedent. The phone cases have been incompatible with pretty much every new phone release going all the way back to the original.