Celebrate Pride with the vibrant new Apple Watch Band

Photo: Apple

Apple unveils its annual tribute to Pride Month with the stunning Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop for Apple Watch. This eye-catching band features a unique woven design in the colours of the Pride flag, with a subtle "PRIDE 2024" inscription etched on the lugs.

Available starting May 22 in Canada and the US (May 23 internationally), the Solo Loop offers a comfortable and secure fit for Apple Watch SE and Series 4 or later in 41mm and 45mm sizes. It's priced at $99.

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The original Apple Watch series is now obsolete

Apple

Apple’s 2015 Watch models, including the Hermes and US$17,000 gold versions, are now obsolete. This means they can’t get hardware service or parts from Apple anymore. This raises the issue of “planned obsolescence.” Apple only has to provide parts for five years after it stops selling a product (seven years in France for iPhones and Mac laptops). This policy has faced criticism and legal challenges before, forcing Apple to improve its device reparability and adopt USB-C ports instead of Lightning.

The Watch Edition is a curious case. Unlike regular watches that can last for decades and increase in value, the Watch Edition was always doomed to become outdated. And here's the reminder that it has.

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Microsoft Authenticator for Apple Watch will be discontinued in Jan. 2023

Microsoft's two-step verification app, Microsoft Authenticator, will be one of the latest apps to leave the watchOS App Store. The company will release an update next month to remove the companion app for watchOS. According to Microsoft, the Apple Watch operating system is "incompatible with Authenticator security features." If you already have the app on your Apple Watch, you'll still need to delete it since it won't work after January. The iPhone and iPad versions of the app will still be available for iOS users.

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Wristcam update lets you join a video call without the accessory

With watchOS 9's release coming up, Wristcam is getting a bit of an upgrade. According to Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter, the Wristcam's third-party app on the Apple Watch will allow you to receive video calls from an iPhone without the Wristcam attachment. This means you can send audio and receive video from the other person in the call without sending back video. Wristcam is a niche accessory that adds a video-chat camera to the Apple Watch.