Mike Wuerthele
Apple has cut back on bands you can get with a new Apple Watch, with new users only able to get a Series 2 watch bundled with either the Milanese Loop or Sport Band.
Nearly all of Apple's bands were able to be ordered up until Monday with the purchase of an Apple Watch Series 2 — but most options have been out of stock for some time. The move is likely to simplify Apple's supply chain, but at the expense of "out of the box" flexibility for the consumer.
The previous offerings, including the Classic Buckle, Leather Loop, and Link Bracelet are still available, but now only sold separately. Quick stock checks of Apple Retail stores show some old stock with bundled bands other than the Milanese Loop or Sport Band still able to be purchased, but with spotty availability. Apple authorized reseller B&H also has inventory available in several styles with no sales tax collected outside NY and NJ, according to the AppleInsider Apple Watch Series 2 Price Guide.
A source within Apple Retail, speaking on condition of anonymity, told us that while some Apple Stores were instructed to send back their non-compliant models under the new order, some were allowed to sell-through existing stock.
The move comes in conjunction with an overall expansion of Apple Watch bands from Apple, with a new series of bands including stand-alone Nike Sport bands, more Hermes bands, and an assortment of new Woven Nylon bands released on Tuesday.
Apple also revealed a new 9.7-inch iPad replacing the iPad Air 2, special edition (Product)Red iPhone 7, the doubling of storage on the iPhone SE without changing the price of the device, and a new Clips app for social media video generation.
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24 Comments
I'm on my second sport band for my Apple Watch Series 0. As much as I loved the first lime green one, it got kind of grimy-looking and wouldn't clean up. No big surprise, considering the material it's made with. I replaced it with a black one, which looks great with the watch's silver anodized case. I do like the band's design overall. Quite comfortable, pliable, and strong.
I do like the broad selection of bands, though. Something for most every taste, presumably.
I wonder if they will return to a broader selection when the announce the Series 3, then reduce options after the holidays until the next update? Watch band options are nice, but I'd like to see stats as to how often most customers switch them over the band they bought their original watch with. My anecdotal experience is that most I see wearing them never switch their bands. This decision obviously simplifies apples supply chain, but puts the customer into the position of likely having to buy at least one accessory band to get the one they want, and may not ever wear the original band. If they dropped the price too, that might be an acceptable option. Maybe this is the first step on the path to selling bandless watches.
I think this is stupid. I bought the series 2 in black SS with the black SS band. The problem is that this band, along with the natural color model, is virtually impossible to get unless you buy it with the Watch. I don't know why. But if Apple insists on this nonsense, then they had better have a far better selection in the stores, and online.
a problem I see is that Apple is far too concerned in what is selling the best. They ignore everything else. If they truly want to be a purveyor of high quality watches, particularly with fashion sense, they must carry all their bracelets and bands. It doesn't matter if they only sell one piece of a particular version a year. That's what they need to understand.
so far, they've done some things well, and some things poorly. By limiting what you can buy, they turn buyers off. Not everyone is willing to wait for a band. Most people want to go into a store, SEE the band, and feel the band. Then they want to buy that band, RIGHT NOW! If Apple doesn't get that, then they should hire someone from the Watch industry to take over marketing them.