Are you ready for the performance-enhancing drugs TV special called the Olympic Games? It looks like Apple is ready for the marketing branding extravaganza as the company is releasing limited edition bands for the Apple Watch. GQ first spotted these new bands. Unfortunately, you’ll have to book a flight to Rio to buy one.
These new bands are the same ones as the woven nylon bands that were introduced earlier this year. But this time, the company is recreating country flags. Based on the gallery courtesy of GQ, flags from the U.S., the U.K., the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Jamaica, Canada, China, Brazil, Australia, Germany and France are available.
But there’s a catch. It’s going to be a bit difficult to find them as Apple is going to sell them at the Apple Store in Village Mall in Barra da Tijuca. They’ll cost R$329 (or around $100).
As you can see, American sprinter Trayvon Bromell is already wearing one:
Let’s use this opportunity to talk about the Apple Watch and how it’s doing. According to a new study from IDC, Apple Watch shipments are down 55 percent year over year. The company doesn’t break out Apple Watch sales during its quarterly earnings, so we have to rely on third-party data.
IDC also claims that the entire smartwatch market is shrinking. Companies shipped 3.5 million smartwatches over Q2 2016. Not bad, but 32 percent less than last year. Apple is still the dominating player with a 47 percent market share.
It’s safe to say that many people are probably anticipating the next iteration of the Apple Watch. While first generation Apple products are always lacking some key features that get added in future versions, J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction rankings shows that Apple Watch owners really like their Apple Watches.
It’s too soon to say that smartwatches are doomed. But Apple still needs to iterate on the Apple Watch.
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