The Apple Watch Solo Loop sizing effectively maps to the holes of the Sport Loop, according to John Gruber. The distance between the holes in every Apple Watch Sport Band is reportedly exactly the same as the distance between the 12 sizes of Solo Loops on Apple's measuring tool.
All Apple Watch Sport Bands have seven holes. For the 38mm or 40mm band, the S/M band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of one to seven, and the M/L band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of four to 10. For the 42mm or 44mm band, the S/M band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of three to nine, and the M/L band corresponds to the Solo Loop sizes of six to 12. Gruber writes:
A few people have wondered why Apple doesn't just map fluoroelastomer Sport Band sizes to Solo Loop sizes. I can see why Apple doesn't do that — they can't assume everyone already has access to an Apple Watch with a Sport Band, and even for people who do have access to one, Apple can't assume it's the right size watch (38/40mm vs. 42/44mm). And to further complicate matters, each Sport Band comes with two sizes for the side with the holes: "S/M" and "M/L." So that's four separate mappings from Sport Band holes to the new Solo Loop sizes.
The below image shows size mapping for two 40mm Apple Watch Sport Bands, with S/M and M/L sizes.
The following image shows size mapping for two 44mm Apple Watch Sport Bands, also with S/M and M/L sizes.
The news that it is possible to match Solo and Braided Loop sizing to the Sport Band will reassure many existing Apple Watch users who have been concerned about sizing issues and the potential need for an inconvenient return.
Regarding Apple's measuring tool, Gruber points out that "I think you're supposed to use the tool to precisely measure the circumference of your wrist, not to simulate the circumference of what you think would be a comfortable watch band," and he believes this may be the result of much of the discontentment about Solo Loop sizing.
The process for this thing is way too complicated, especially right now.
Beyond that, he's probably correct that this was intended as a wrist-measurement tool and that people are (understandably, but probably incorrectly) using this instead to interpolate what they believe a correct band size will be. In short, there's almost certainly a communication failure at work here.
I can confirm that this is true for me. I got a size 7 band that fits perfectly, and I’ve always used the second hole (from tightest) on my sport bands. (44mm)
What a great idea to release a brand new product in 12(?) brand new sizes while stores are closed so that basically no one can try them on either.. Guess the delivery people won't be out of a job anytime soon at least :)
Friday December 3, 2021 9:16 am PST by Juli Clover
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Apple Watch accessory company Southern Straps to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Black or Brown Leather Band compatible with all Apple Watch models.
Priced at $129, Southern Straps' Leather Bands are made from full grain Horween leather and hand sewn in California. Each band is vegetable dyed for rich color that will develop a unique...
Last week, Apple introduced two new Pride Edition Apple Watch bands. In addition to online orders through Apple.com, the new bands are also available to purchase at physical Apple Store locations starting today.
Priced at $99, the Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop weaves together the original rainbow colors with those drawn from various Pride flags, according to Apple. For $49, the Pride...
Apple today announced the Black Unity Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch, as well as a new downloadable watch face, to celebrate Black History Month. Following the launch of the limited edition Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 and Sport Band in 2021, Apple today launched the Black Unity Braided Solo Loop as part of its celebrations for Black History Month this year.Apple is launching a...
Apple today announced a new set of Apple Watch Sport Loop bands with colors representative of 22 countries around the world, alongside custom Apple Watch faces for each of those countries.
The full list of the countries represented within Apple's new "Limited Edition International Collection" can be found below: Australia Belgium Brazil Canada China Denmark France Germany
...
Apple Watch Series 7 deals have continued on Amazon this week, offering up to $50 off nearly every model of the 41mm and 45mm Apple Watch Series 7. Every model is shipped and sold directly by Amazon, with stock available for shipping today for most devices.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with BluShark to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win an aluminum Apple Watch Series 7 and a matching BluShark Apple Watch band to go along with it.
BluShark has a wide array of Apple Watch bands available in materials that include Leather, Silicone, Cordura, Knit Weave, Canvas, and an AlphaPremier seatbelt weave. All of the bands are affordable,...
Friday December 3, 2021 11:32 am PST by Sami Fathi
In a new interview, two Apple executives have discussed Apple's wide range of Apple Watch band options for customers, how they're designed, and their thinking behind them.
Evans Hankey, Apple's vice president of industrial design, and Stan Ng, Apple's vice president of product marketing, recently spoke to HYPEBEAST about Apple Watch bands.
Apple has a wide range of Apple Watch bands for...
Compared to other Apple products, the Apple Watch Series 7 has been one of the most consistently discounted products in Apple's lineup for the first few months of 2022. As February ends, we're still tracking numerous all-time low prices across the Series 7 family of devices, with $50 off many models on Amazon.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a ...
Although Black Friday is now technically over, many Apple products are still seeing major discounts through the weekend as we head into Cyber Monday. In this article, you'll find every Apple device with a notable Black Friday sale that's still available. We'll be updating as prices change and new deals arrive, so be sure to keep an eye out if you don't see the sale you're looking for yet.
Note:...
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Cyber Monday is no different. We're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro devices from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models like the iPhone 13.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
Friday November 25, 2022 3:33 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Nothing Phone 1 users today began receiving the Nothing OS 1.1.7 update, which adds support for displaying the battery percentage of connected AirPods, amongst other improvements and bug fixes.
If you own a Nothing Phone 1, you can check for the OTA update by going to Settings -> System -> System updates. Bear in mind that as support for displaying AirPods battery level is still an...
Cyber Monday deals have been in full swing since Black Friday deals ended, and we're seeing solid discounts on Apple devices. We're highlighting the best sales for all of Apple's product lines, and in this article you'll find the best Cyber Monday sales on iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Air, and iPad mini.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make ...
Friday November 25, 2022 2:58 am PST by Sami Fathi
An Apple engineer has addressed the lack of lossless audio support in the second-generation AirPods Pro in a new interview. Current Bluetooth technology in the AirPods lineup means that Apple's audio products do not support Apple Music Lossless audio. Apple has previously hinted that it may develop its own codec and connectivity standard that builds on AirPlay and supports higher quality...
The Black Friday and Cyber Monday holiday shopping rush is drawing to a close, but there are still some good deals to be had out there. For Apple products, many of the deals you've seen since last week are still available, though some have expired. So for anyone who missed out on Black Friday deals, there's still an opportunity to get some of the year's best prices on many Apple devices.
Note: ...
Monday November 28, 2022 6:11 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced that the Oceanic+ app is available for the Apple Watch Ultra starting today. Designed by Huish Outdoors in collaboration with Apple, the app serves as a dive computer for recreational scuba diving at depths up to 40 meters/130 feet.
Apple already offers a basic Depth app on the Apple Watch Ultra for viewing your current depth, maximum depth reached, water temperature,...
While we already have some clear indications about what to expect from the fourth-generation iPhone SE, there are three major questions looming over the device at the current time.
Chinese site MyDrivers and and leaker Jon Prosser believe that the iPhone SE is set to move to an iPhone XR-like design in its next incarnation, which would involve eliminating the Home button and adding a "notch" ...
Top Rated Comments
/s
Beyond that, he's probably correct that this was intended as a wrist-measurement tool and that people are (understandably, but probably incorrectly) using this instead to interpolate what they believe a correct band size will be. In short, there's almost certainly a communication failure at work here.