Upcoming Apple Watch Models Could Get New Magnetic Band Option

[cougarmeat]

"Watch" out for new magnetic tech - especially on something you might wear while adventuring outdoors. I used to have a pair of glittens - part glove, part mitten. The material that covered the fingers, like a mitten, could be pulled back and held with Velcro®. I bought a new pair and the "hold back" mechanism had been updated to small magnets. Guess what happened when I held a compass in my palm.

Sure, if a person is going to own an Apple watch, they probably have an electronic compass on their phone - impervious to metallic influences. But still - be aware that magnets, even as small as a watch buckle, have their influence.

 

[tennisproha]

I love the leather modern buckle and have 3 of them. The only problem is it doesn’t have incremental adjustments so it’s always either too loose or too tight. So I just end up wearing my nylon sport loop everyday.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

Looking forward to new braided solo loop colors. Also please update the compatibility and make them fit nicely with the AW Ultra.

 

[75Batt]

Great that will be awesome for the magnetic compass function on the ultra. Call it a feature

The article literally said it’s not for the Ultra?

 

[THE VATICANTS]

Yawn.....really?

 

[75Batt]

in my experience, the cheap knockoff bands are cheap knockoffs for a reason. I don't know what they're using to make the rubber replicas, but if it's fluoroelastomer it's not as good as the stuff Apple uses - it looks identical but quickly warps and loses its lustre. I've bought a few now and would swap all of them for one decent Apple band, and I've learned my lesson: don't be such a broke boy!

There are some good clones of the Link Bracelet, amazingly because Apple can't make one for less than $499 lol. I still can't get over that.

Have to disagree to a poiny. Whilet some are knock offs, some are better. The Apple sport bands give me an allergic reaction andI’ve never had an allergy to anything, whilst the sports bands I have gotten online are made from a slightly different material that has more give, gives the same look without the reaction for much less.

 

[IG88]

Not much has changed, but I will gladly take better performance and battery life.

Nevermind.

 

[dz5b609]

Just give me a 45mm leather buckle.

 

[dz5b609]

No update to the CPU....

What are you talking about? The rumor is that nothing changes EXCEPT the CPU which according to the rumors is getting a massive upgrade and is going to be based on the A15 chip.

 

[Rogifan]

Too expensive. My favorite is the woven nylon. Apple doesn’t make them anymore but 3rd party maker StrapsCo does and I can get one with tax for around $25. They’re nice quality too.

 

[Sirious]

I like the sport loops the best. They are comfortable and don't cost $99.

Agreed. I hope they don't discontinue that style for a couple more years to come!!
It's very expressive, comfortable, cost effective and lightweight.

 

[IG88]

What are you talking about? The rumor is that nothing changes EXCEPT the CPU which according to the rumors is getting a massive upgrade and is going to be based on the A15 chip.

I misread it. Somehow I read "no changes other than the S9" to be something like "no changes including the S9."

 

[Apple_Robert]

Are these straps going to be exclusive to a new designed Apple Watch?

If true, the band will be available for current models as well.

 

[Clamjuice65]

Good apple should switch things up with the watch

 

[Sarafay]

Im waiting for titan straps.

 

[SusieS]

Agreed. I hope they don't discontinue that style for a couple more years to come!!
It's very expressive, comfortable, cost effective and lightweight.

I only wear sport loops too. Most of mine are Aliexpress clones because I wanted discontinued colors and didn’t want to pay Ebay “vintage” prices for the OEM ones. The pre-pandemic Aliexpress bands are great. The post-pandemic ones sadly are not. The Aliexpress ones are also about a half-inch longer than Apple’s so when they’re closed the end cap is in a perfect spot on my wrist and doesn’t snag on anything, whereas Apple bands do. A small annoyance.

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

I sold my AW Ultra today and can’t wait to get my hands on the new AW Ultra 2 Dark Space Gray.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Stainless steel Space Black (SSSB) link band owner here from series zero. Still holding up non-magnetically after 8 years.

 

[Shirasaki]

Because people keep buying them. Apple has mastered the art of giving the absolute minimum possible changes each year. If people actually cut back hugely on buying into minuscule upgrades, the upgrades would get a lot more exciting. But it's Apple, and I'm going to get flamed for suggesting the slightest thing wrong with their practices.

iPhone is even worse. Is there a meaningful difference between the 12 and the 14 except we've lost the sim slot? But there's exciting new colors coming on for the 15. Unless there's any surprises, the best thing we have to look forward to is USB-C on the 16 and that's because Europe is forcing them to do it.

On top of this, millions upon millions of customers actively support this sort of minuscule YOY update by mandatory themselves to buy brand new iPhone every year no matter what, giving Tim and his team the sense that such practice is acceptable and profitable, thus continuing to provide absolute minimum while trying to market the hell out of nothing at each September event.

 

[tooloud10]

in my experience, the cheap knockoff bands are cheap knockoffs for a reason. I don't know what they're using to make the rubber replicas, but if it's fluoroelastomer it's not as good as the stuff Apple uses - it looks identical but quickly warps and loses its lustre. I've bought a few now and would swap all of them for one decent Apple band, and I've learned my lesson: don't be such a broke boy!

There are some good clones of the Link Bracelet, amazingly because Apple can't make one for less than $499 lol. I still can't get over that.

I have a bunch of knockoff Ocean bands from Amazon for less than three dollars each and I literally can’t remember which one is the original $99 version. IOW I could literally replace them 33 times before approaching the Apple price.

 

[Tagbert]

Are these straps going to be exclusive to a new designed Apple Watch?

It’s unlikely. Apple has been very good about providing backwards compatibility of bands with new Watch models.

 

[Shirasaki]

I have a bunch of knockoff Ocean bands from Amazon for less than three dollars each and I literally can’t remember which one is the original $99 version. IOW I could literally replace them 33 times before approaching the Apple price.

Well, for me, the knockoff woven nylon brand broke down just a few months after normal use, while only cost 50% less than genuine one sold by Apple (and sadly never again). Still waiting for another woven nylon band from Apple.

 

[svish]

Looking forward to seeing the new straps next month

 

[hybra]

The worst design decision is to have that large circular magnet to recharge on the bottom, if we could have a mini-"Macbook-like" Magsafe port on some side we could continue using the Watch while it's being recharged via a armband powerbank of sort, so that is non blocking the wrist sensors. For example, the Action button could be double purposed to Magsafe port in some way, and an auxiliary Action button put on the connector's end to be alternatively used when the charger is attached if we want to maintain the functionality

 

[hybra]

Need more wider bands for the ultra