Apple Unveils New Apple Watch Pride Edition Bands

In celebration of Pride month this June, Apple is releasing two new Pride Edition bands with dynamic Pride watch faces in support of the global LGBTQ+ community and equality movement. This year’s Pride Edition Sport Loop showcases a colour gradient with the word ‘pride’ woven directly into the band. Apple is also launching a new Shot on iPhone pride campaign on Instagram that captures the essence of artists and figures within the global LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Edition Sport Loop

Members and allies of the LGBTQ+ creative community at Apple were inspired to deliver a new expression of pride through this unique design. Utilising the comfortable, durable and adjustable Sport Loop design, Apple used a new technique to remove several of the double-layer nylon-woven textile loops on the band to reveal the word ‘pride’ in a cursive style inspired by the original ‘hello’ greeting — displayed on the first Macintosh in 1984 — giving the word a novel, three-dimensional look and feel.

The team designed a colour gradient that incorporates the original rainbow colours with those drawn from various pride flags, including light blue, pink and white, representing transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, and black and brown, symbolising Black and Latinx communities. The colours also represent those who are living with or have passed away from HIV/AIDS.

Pride Threads Watch Face

Inspired by multiple pride flags, this new watch face combines colours to represent the strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ movement. Mirroring the woven loops of the Sport Loop, each strand of vibrant thread contributes to the overall composition of the watch face. The colourful threads move as the Digital Crown on Apple Watch is rotated, the display is tapped or the user’s wrist is raised. Apple is also including new App Clip functionality within the band packaging to deliver a simple and convenient way for customers to immediately access the new matching watch face.

Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop

A new Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop celebrates the full spectrum of the rainbow and features a matching rainbow-coloured Nike Bounce face that accompanies the new band. Along with Nike’s Be True collection, the Sport Loop honours individuals who are expanding sport for future generations and inspiring others to feel the joy of being authentically themselves. Be True is part of Nike’s broader commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, which focuses on recognition, advocacy, inspiration and education. 

A New Shot on iPhone Pride Campaign

From Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco to Paulista Avenue in São Paulo, the Shot on iPhone pride campaign will showcase imagery from an illustrious group of intersectional creatives, celebrating present-day queer pioneers in places of historic significance to the LGBTQ+ movement. Coming soon to @apple on Instagram, the series will feature works from photographers Ryan McGinley at Stonewall Inn in New York; Evan Benally Atwood at Window Rock in Arizona; Meinke Klein at The Homomonument in Amsterdam; Caia Ramalho at Paulista Avenue in São Paulo; Lydia Metral at Plaza de Chueca in Madrid; and Collier Schorr at Harvey Milk Plaza in San Francisco, featuring Baobei.

Pricing and Availability

• The Pride Edition Sport Loop and Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop are available for A$69 RRP inc. GST.
• The new Pride Edition bands are available to order from apple.com/au and in the Apple Store app, and will be available at Apple Store locations beginning on 26 May. The Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop is also coming soon to nike.com. 
• The new Pride watch face is available, requiring Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.6, and iPhone 6s or later running iOS 15.5.
• Both the Pride Edition Sport Loop and the Pride Edition Nike Sport Loop are compatible with any Apple Watch.

How Apple Supports LGBTQ+ Community

Apple works with LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations to bring about positive change, from Encircle, an organisation that provides life-affirming programs and services for the LGBTQ+ community and their families, to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organisation for LGBTQ+ young people.

It also supports Equality Federation Institute, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, The National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG and SMYAL in the US, as well as ILGA World internationally. Now in its seventh year, the Apple Watch Pride Edition bands and watch faces illustrate the ways in which the company stands with, supports and is proudly made up of the LGBTQ+ community.