Apple Watch gets new Pride-themed bands
Rainbow bands incoming ahead of Pride Month 2021
Apple has just announced its new Pride-edition Apple Watch bands, as well as new matching watch face wallpapers that will launch through an upcoming software update. Both bands were unveiled yesterday on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOBIT).
One of the bands features a colorful braided style, which goes on your wrist without the need to adjust the clasp or the buckle. "New Braided Solo Loop represents the breadth of LGBTQ+ communities and experiences," Apple said.
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This isn't the first time Apple has released a Pride-themed Apple Watch band; back in 2016, the company launched a limited-edition band and watch face and it's repeated that every year since.
However, this year Apple managed to elevate the whole look by adding colors from other Pride flags to the traditional Pride rainbow look. For example, light blue, pink, and white have been added in order to represent the transgender and non-binary community, while black and brown stand for the Black and Latinx communities.
Apple CEO Tim Cook added: “On many fronts, Apple supports the ongoing and unfinished work of equality for diverse and intersectional communities, and we want to provide every opportunity to celebrate and honor this history during Pride season.”
And of course, we're also getting a new watch face that is specifically designed to match this band and all of its featured colors in a corresponding wavy pattern.
Similar to Apple's previously released braided solo loop bands, this one is priced at $99.
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The other band is a classic Nike Sport Loop (priced at $49), which features all of the six original Pride rainbow colors mixed with white in a striped pattern. Owners of this band will also appreciate a Nike Pride watch face that perfectly matches the band.
Both bands are already available for purchase on Apple's official website and are due to hit in-store shelves on May 25.
According to Apple, the company "is proud to build on its long-running financial support for LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including Encircle, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG National, SMYAL, and The Trevor Project in the US, as well as ILGA World internationally."
Denise is a Life Reporter at Newsweek, covering everything lifestyle-related, including health, relationships, personal finance, beauty and more. She was formerly a news writer at Tom’s Guide, regularly producing stories on all things tech, gaming software/hardware, fitness, streaming, and more. Her published content ranges from short-form news articles to long-form pieces, including reviews, buying guides, how-tos, and features. When she's not playing horror games, she can be found exploring East London with her adorable puppy. She’s also a part-time piano enthusiast and regularly experiments in the kitchen.