Ahead of Tuesday's "California Streaming" event from Apple, comes news that certain watch bands for Apple Watch are no longer available. This isn't surprising, since Apple refreshes their watch bands quite often. Usually it happens without any fanfare. In this instance it's more proof that a Series 7 Watch will get stage time next week.
There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not bands will fit the new watches. Apple kept compatibility with 38mm and 42mm bands on the 40mm and 44mm models. The flat-edged design calls into question whether or not they will actually fit and, if they do, how good they will look.
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The rumor mill has been working overdrive with some reporting existing bands will not be compatible with the Series 7. Others say compatibility stays. I say it's in Apple's best interest to maintain band compatibility because it's the right thing to do. Watch bands are not cheap. The lowest-cost official band is $50. A side-effect of owning the Apple Watch is the collecting of new bands over time. I never considered myself someone who would want multiple watch bands, but I have nearly twenty in a nice portfolio no less, all ready to swap in as I see fit.
A compatibility-breaking size change would only affect Series 7 purchasers, it makes sense for Apple to come at this assuming purchasers are upgrading from a prior model. For someone like me and the tons of others who have multiple, pricey bands, that's an investment that surely will dissuade an upgrade. So on Tuesday I will have my fingers crossed on this. I'll also be on the lookout to see what new colors and designs are releasing into the wild.