Apple Introduces 2023 Pride Watch Band—No Two Are Identical—And iPhone Wallpaper
Apple is sprinkling its support for LGBTQ+ individuals with a new Pride Edition Sport Band and matching wallpapers for iPhones and smartwatches.
This year’s strap design encapsulates “the strength and beauty” of the community, spotlighting the original rainbow colors from the Pride flag along with black and brown—alluding to Black and Latin LGBTQ+ communities and those who have passed on from or are dealing with HIV or aids—and blue, pink, and white to symbolize transgender and non-binary people.
The colorful Apple Watch band sees sprinkle-like, rainbow geometric shapes strewn across a white canvas. Notably, due to the compression-molding process, every chunk of wrist candy is unique, mirroring the diversity of the Pride community.
“In the forming process, the base material flows around each individual shape, creating small variations in their layout,” Apple explains. “No two bands are exactly alike, reflecting the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The 2023 Pride Edition Sport Band will arrive in 41mm and 45mm sizes, with compatibility for Apple Watch Series 3 and newer. It will debut on the Apple website and Apple Store App on May 23 for a price of US$49, before heading to retail stores on May 24.
Further letting the Pride flag fly are the matching Pride Celebration watch face and iOS wallpaper, which illustrate the “combined strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
With the Apple Watch face, the rainbow shapes from the band seemingly cascade into the display, and they dance around when the user raises or moves their wrist or touch the screen. The iPhone background, on the other hand, comes alive in animation when the user unlocks their device.
Both the wallpaper and watch artwork will roll out next week, when iOS 16.5 and watchOS 9.5 are made publicly available too.
