The curious case of Apple’s shrinking Sport Loop band

Something peculiar seems to bring happened with the first-party Sport Loop band vogue for Apple Watch because those cool-looking straps bring gotten a lot shorter inward the concluding year.

Apple’s hook-and-loop Sport Loop strap vogue launched inward 2017 with Apple Watch Series 3.

This season, the Nike+ edition of the novel Apple Watch Series four ships with a reflective version of the Sport Loop band that doesn’t simply await cool but increases visibility for nighttime runners.

The particular reflective thread was designed to shimmer when low-cal strikes it

It’s also shorter than concluding year’s Sport Loop.

Shrinking the Sport Loop band

It was kickoff discovered past times Edwin, 1 of the readers of Dutch Apple-focused weblog iCulture, who used to apparel an Apple Watch with a Sport Loop strap. Immediately after upgrading to a Series four model he discovered that the band that came with the device wouldn’t agree his wrist.

He reached out on several occasions to Apple Support solely to live told that the size has stayed the same. Indeed, Apple’s specifications state that the novel Sport Loop strap silent fits 145-220mm wrists (the measure tells yous what diameter wrists the band volition fit). However, its actual length is straight off much shorter at 23-24cm instead of the park 26cm.

While Apple did brand the Series four instance a flake larger at 44mm (the measure denotes the tiptop of the case), the two-millimeter departure doesn’t explicate why the bands—and solely the Sport Loop ones—have popular off a few centimeters shorter.

The ikon higher upwards shows a white Sport Loop, a duo of regular Series 3 bands in addition to a longer Sport Loop band that tin live purchased separately (more on that later).

All are for the 42mm in addition to 44mm watches.

• Top: 1x novel Sport Loop band (2018 season, 24cm long)


• Middle: 2x former Sport Loop straps (2017 season, 26cm long)


• Bottom: 1x extra large Sport Loop band (2018 season)

The Sport Loop band used to live 26 centimeters long, but non anymore.

What about big boned types?

While that’s non such a large deal, yous involve to know that the Sport Loop band transportation with Apple Watch Series four is shorter, which mightiness effort problems for people with large wrists.

If yous purchased a Series four with a Sport Loop band that doesn’t agree your wrist, yous tin instruct a longer version of the strap separately from Apple. Priced at $49, it’s listed every bit plumbing equipment 170–245mm wrists versus 145–220mm wrists for the regular edition.

Apple Watch Series 3, at left, in addition to Series 4, at right

Unfortunately, you’ll live stuck with 1 coloring because the large version is available solely inward black. Apple also has fifty-fifty longer bands for the 160-245mm wrists in addition to thence your side past times side selection entails getting an extra large fluoroelastomer Sport strap which, too, is available solely inward black.

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As iCulture points out, however, yous bring some added flexibility with the fluoroelastomer Sport Loop band because it’s delivered inward iii pieces, 1 with the pivot in addition to 2 with the holes (the ones with the holes are dissimilar lengths to arrange most wrist sizes).

Your commentary

Have yous noticed yourself that 2018’s Sport Loop strap is shorter? And if so, would yous state that this is a classic instance of Apple nickel-and-diming its loyal customers?

Making the strap shorter saves a few cents inward terms of stuff cost. Multiplied past times millions in addition to millions of Apple Watch sales, it tin add together upwards pretty speedily to substantial savings.

The curious instance of the shrinking Sport Loop band reminds me of a like illustration non that long fourth dimension agone when Apple stopped including the extension cable for the MacBook Pro notebook every bit touchstone (and don’t instruct me started on jacked-up prices of Apple’s updated Magic accessories).

Voice your persuasion inward the comments downward below.

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