Will Apple Watch Pro need a whole new strap to work perfectly?
The next Apple Watch will be announced on Wednesday, September 7 at Apple’s next special event. And it looks like there will be more Watches than ever. But the most-anticipated model, a larger-screen model which may be called Apple Watch Pro, could be the first that’s not backward compatible with earlier bands—which is a big change for Apple.
The Apple Watch has always come in two case sizes. Originally these were 38mm and 42mm, then from Series 4 these grew to 40mm and 44mm. And now, the Watch cases measure 41mm and 45mm.
But all along, Apple has managed to pull off quite a clever trick: backwards compatibility for all straps. So, the bands you bought with your 38mm Watch still fit the 40mm and 41mm models and the straps originally made for the 42mm Watch will work for the 44mm and 45mm versions.
Part of the reason this can happen is that these sizes refer to the case height, not a diagonal measurement. Even so, it’s a cool thing and it means users have known that they wouldn’t need to can their strap collection when they upgraded.
But a rumor on Weibo, picked up by MacRumors, has indicated that the all-new Pro model will break with this trend. While it’s expected that Series 8 and the new SE, which seem certain to be announced as well, will not change in size and match Series 7, the Pro will be different.
It’s thought the case size will be noticeably bigger, 47mm or even 48mm, and that increase, along with an expected new design with a flatter display and sides, will make the older straps incompatible.
This is a big change. While it’s true that some newer straps (such as the wonderful Solo Loop) were only designed for more recent Watch hardware, Series 4 and later, it has always been the case that older straps will still work with newer Watches.
Perhaps the new design and, just as importantly, the expected focus on extreme sports, means a whole new range of straps are desirable.
Whatever the reason, there will be disquiet from many who don’t want to chuck their band collection. These people may only upgrade to the Series 8.
There’s a twist to this story: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has now tweeted about the topic, saying “I believe the Apple Watch Pro will support older bands — though maybe they won’t fit as well or look as seamless given the size of the new watch.”
I’m interested in this. Apple will emphatically not recommend a strap unless it’s a perfect fit (like the way the first Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro 12.9-inch was not deemed compatible with an updated Pro, but fitted very closely). And maybe it’s different here: if the strap technically attaches with the same mechanism but there’s a doubt about the safety of the connection, it certainly won’t be considered compatible. After all, you don’t want your Watch flying off your wrist, especially if you’re doing extreme sports, the target for the Apple Watch Pro.
More as we have it.
