Rumor: 'Apple Watch Series 7' bands incompatible with current Apple Watches
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."
Read on AppleInsider
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."
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
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.
have invested in bands.
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! 😎
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.
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.
It would be a shock if older bands did not fit a new model watch.
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!