Rumor: 'Apple Watch Series 7' bands incompatible with current Apple Watches

AppleInsider

A rumor Thursday claims that bands for Apple's next-generation Apple Watch will be incompatible with current models, though it isn't clear if old bands will work with the new watches.

In August, leaker "Uncle Pan" suggested "Apple Watch Series 7" will come in 41mm and 45mm case sizes, a 1mm increase over today's models. Subsequent reports have reiterated those claims, but questions about the wearable's specifications remain.

While a larger chassis is expected to facilitate bigger screens and, potentially, more capacious batteries, the shift could make existing band and strap accessories obsolete, at least for upgraders.

"Uncle Pan" believes "old" bands will fit the new models, but didn't mention compatibility between "Apple Watch Series 7" bands and previous Apple wearables. However, on Thursday, a new rumor from leaker Max Weinbach appears to suggest that new bands won't fit old Apple Watch models.

"[For what it's worth] I've heard from an Apple store employee that they're not getting anymore 40/44mm bands in and expect the new Apple watch to use different bands that won't be compatible with old watches," Weinbach said in a tweet.

The assertion is questionable at best, as Apple Store employees are typically not informed of the company's future product plans. Additionally, a 1mm size increase is negligible, so the incompatibility would likely stem from a case redesign.

That said, a pair of leaks last week claim to show bands for as-yet-unannounced 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch models. Whether the supposedly unreleased bands fit current devices is unclear.

Apple Watch currently comes in 40mm and 44mm case sizes, dimensions that were last changed when the device grew from 38mm and 42mm with "Apple Watch Series 4" in 2018.

"Apple Watch Series 7" is expected to debut alongside "iPhone 13" at a special event this fall.

Update: A previous version of this story suggested that old Apple Watch bands wouldn't fit the "Apple Watch Series 7."

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ihatescreennames

If true I know a few people that will be unhappy that their current Watch band collection won’t have much longer life. One of my friends easily has 35 bands for her Apple Watch, most purchased from Apple.

If old bands don’t fit the Series 7 my guess is it isn’t simply due to the supposed 1mm increase. Perhaps there is a significant enough change to the body, as well (which has also been rumored). I mean, I don’t see any difference in the way my bands fit my 44mm watch over my 42mm watch and that was twice as big a change as this rumor.

fastasleep

I don’t buy it. The width difference is so miniscule. I don’t think they’ll do this until there’s a very significant redesign of the chassis and connectors. They know how much people
have invested in bands. 

anilu_777

I think this is sketchy for the reasons stated in the article. My bands that fit my Series 3 fit the Series 6 fine. But I have 15 bands including a double tour so I’ll be very angry if they’re obsolete. 

macapfel

No worries – there will be an adapter fitting the old band to the new watch. If there is one thing, Apple can do, it is adapters.

edited September 2021

michelb76

If true, this would be hilarious.

japhey

I seriously doubt this is true. It would be a total dick move to release over 20 special edition Olympic watch bands only to make them obsolete on the new model one month later. And if they do, I’m one of the people that will get very pissed. I just purchased a $100 braided solo loop which is, hands down, my favorite band ever. I’ll be very let down if I can’t use it on my new Series 7. 

glennh

“The assertion is questionable at best, as Apple Store employees are typically not informed of the company's future product plans.”

Let me provide a better statement of fact:

Apple Store Employees are most definitely NOT informed or Officially provided details of the company future products plans until after or during the public Keynote that reveals such products to everyone Tom, Dick, Harry and before I forget and offend someone sensibilities I better not forget to name Jane along with the others non-binary Apple fan Geeks!  😎

roderikus

OH - this certainly is not a false marketing trick  to make every current watchband obsolete in one fell swoop. The larger watches need better physical support, more sturdy and mechanically improved bands.

Even apart from the latches that needed a compete redesign, using aerospace grade technology

Oh, this is such a completely different ballgame.

NOT

edited September 2021

j2fusion

My guess is the new bands won’t be compatible with the old watch but the old bands will “fit” the new watch just not perfectly. 

skipdeedy

It’ll be due to the new square edge design. The current watch band connectors are designed for curved edges. I mean they’ve used the same bands for a few years now - 6 in fact which is like 30 in tech years. Can’t be expected to never change.

alanshutko

The article is incorrect when it says the bands have changed size in the past. The bands are currently the same size as the original Watch. When the watches went to 40/44 the screen changed but the case width and bands did not change. 

tjwolf

The title is pretty misleading - nowhere in the article does is it actually supported.  The rumor, based on an Apple store employee, says that new bands won't be compatible with old watches, not the opposite, which is what the title claims.

eriamjh

I hope that when apple was designing the first watch, that they looked far enough ahead to potential designs they couldn’t even physically build and that they designed the bands to fit through multiple design iterations.  

I hope.  

mplsp

Japhey said:

I seriously doubt this is true. It would be a total dick move to release over 20 special edition Olympic watch bands only to make them obsolete on the new model one month later. And if they do, I’m one of the people that will get very pissed. I just purchased a $100 braided solo loop which is, hands down, my favorite band ever. I’ll be very let down if I can’t use it on my new Series 7. 

alanshutko said:

The article is incorrect when it says the bands have changed size in the past. The bands are currently the same size as the original Watch. When the watches went to 40/44 the screen changed but the case width and bands did not change. 

 From Apple’s web site:

Band Compatibility
You can match most bands with any Apple Watch Series 3 or newer case of the same size. (For Apple Watch Series 3, the 40mm band works with the 38mm case; the 44mm band works with the 42mm case.)

The Solo Loop and Braided Solo Loop bands are only compatible with Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 4 or newer. Bands will only fit the selected case size and are not compatible with other case sizes. For example, a size 5 for a 40mm case does not work with a 44mm case, and vice versa.

I agree it would be a total dick move to make the bands obsolete (well, not really - they’ll still work just fine with all the earlier versions,) but Apple hasn’t really shied away from such moves in the past.

Apple Watch Gen 1-3 was available in 38 & 42mm sizes, gen 4 - 6 in 40 & 44mm sizes. I have a gen 3 and haven’t purchased any bands recently, but from Apple’s guidance it would seem that any 44mm band should work with my 42mm watch. If they increase the watch to 41/45mm it would only be a 1mm increase from the previous version but 3mm increase from the original watch which is a more significant jump. 

As far as the claim that stores aren’t getting more of the current sized bands in I call B.S. Even if the series 7 takes different sized bands, they are still going to continue selling the series 6 meaning they will need to stock bands for it. From a manufacturing and sales perspective, having 50 different band styles is already a logistical headache. You increase that to 100 for the two different sizes, and then double it again to accommodate the series 7. Ignoring PR or customer dissatisfaction, It would seem to behove Apple’s own self interests to keep the bands the same.

edited September 2021

mplsp

ihatescreennames said:

If true I know a few people that will be unhappy that their current Watch band collection won’t have much longer life. One of my friends easily has 35 bands for her Apple Watch, most purchased from Apple.

If old bands don’t fit the Series 7 my guess is it isn’t simply due to the supposed 1mm increase. Perhaps there is a significant enough change to the body, as well (which has also been rumored). I mean, I don’t see any difference in the way my bands fit my 44mm watch over my 42mm watch and that was twice as big a change as this rumor.

35 bands??? At $50 a pop that’s over $1700 in watch bands! Even if they’re all cheap knockoffs for $20 it’s $700. 

eric_wvgg

I wonder if any of the new faces will be good for a change.

urashid

AppleInsider said:

"... the new Apple watch to use different bands that won't be compatible with old watches," Weinbach said in a tweet.

The rumor claims that the new bands will not be compatible with old watches.  it doesn't mean that old bands cannot be used with the new watches.

nyc362

Okay... I too work in an Apple store.  Yes, some bands have been out of stock like the Milanese Loop stainless steel models.  However, it is important to remember that Apple releases new colors in the spring and fall for both watch bands and phone cases.  For instance, the Capri Blue iPhone case is also not in stock online or in most stores. 

It would be a shock if older bands did not fit a new model watch.  

charlesn

RUMOR: ALL AIRPODS INCLUDING PRO AND MAX INCOMPATIBLE WITH IPHONE 13!!!
Based on reliable sources including a guy who knows a guy who says he works in an Apple Store and never-heard-of-him Apple leaker "Leaky Pan," AI has decided to run with this headline because it's guaranteed clickbait. Remember: if you've got a tip or a leak to share, there's no level of credibility required to be a feature story on AppleInsider!

davidlewis54

And, of course, Apple has never changed a connector….