Cupertino removes 14 Apple Watch bands ahead of likely refresh

Apple has removed as many as 14 Apple Watch bands from its website with others now marked as “sold out.” The move comes just weeks before the company is likely to announce its fourth-generation wearable device and Fall 2018 lineup of Apple Watch bands.

First recognized by Reddit user ScaniaCB80 and then confirmed by MacRumors, the adjustments to the Apple Watch band lineup isn’t unexpected. Since the first Apple Watch was released three years ago, Cupertino has often refreshed its accessory lineup on a quarterly basis, and typically even more so each Fall when a new Apple Watch is released.

This time around, the following bands have been removed from Apple.com:

  • Sport Loop – Marine Green, Hot Pink, Flashlight, Tahoe Blue, Midnight Fog (Nike), and Cargo Khaki (Nike).
  • Sport Band – Marine Green, Sky Blue, Denim Blue, Red Raspberry, Lemonade, Cargo Khaki/Black (Nike), Barely Rose/Pearl Pink (Nike), and Black/White (Nike).

Other bands are now sold out, including ones in the company’s Sport Loop, Sport Band, Woven Nylon, and Classic Buckle categories.

The so-called Apple Watch Series 4 should be announced in the coming weeks alongside three 2018 iPhones and two iPad Pro tablets. This year’s Watch is expected to feature the device’s first design refresh since the product launched in 2015 and offer smaller bezels and a bigger screen than the current model. The next Apple Watch could also ditch moving buttons in favor of their non-moving, touch-sensitive, solid-state counterparts.

One thing that’s not expected to change on this year’s Apple Watch is the device’s band specifications. In other words, you can keep using your old bands on the new Apple Watch.

Image showing Apple Watch Series 4 concept courtesy of Concept Creator