The Apple Watch is pretty iconic in 2023. But if a new report is true, one of its oldest features could soon be a big problem.
It’s almost fall, which means it’s almost new iPhone and Apple Watch season. Next month, we’ll almost certainly see the iPhone 15 lineup, as well as the Apple Watch Series 9 and, possibly, an Apple Watch Ultra 2.
However, in recent weeks, rumors have sprung up about an all-new Apple Watch X that could come out in 2024 or 2025. This would be a major milestone for the Apple Watch product cycle, marking the 10th anniversary of Apple’s wearable. For 2023, we should expect the Apple Watch Series 9 to be fairly iterative in comparison.
One of the rumored features of a possible Apple Watch X is a new, proprietary system for how Apple Watch bands attach. According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, one possibility would be a magnetic band attachment system instead of the current method, where bands slide into the chassis and lock in via a button mechanism.
While a magnetic system sounds easier and more streamlined, it also highlights a big flaw in Apple’s decision to use a proprietary band from the start.Your Apple Watch bands are about to be useless
The Apple Watch was first announced in September 2014 and actually released in April 2015. Apple’s smartwatch has been around for eight full years as of this writing.
I didn’t get my Apple Watch Series 0 until a few months after the release, but in that time, I have acquired a decently sized collection of assorted bands, from Apple’s own to various third-party straps. Up until recently, I’ve always gotten the smallest Apple Watch, the 38mm or 40mm size, so the vast majority of my bands are designed to fit the small Apple Watches.
