Apple will be offering a limited-edition set of Apple Watch bands for the 2016 Olympics. As reported by GQ, Apple will begin selling Apple Watch bands that depict the flags of 14 different countries when the games kick-off in August.
Unfortunately, in order to get your hands on these limited-edition bands, you’ll have to be in Brazil, as Apple will only be selling the bands at the Apple Store in Village Mall in Barra da Tijuca.
The different flag designs are shown off on the Nylon bands Apple originally introduced earlier this year. The bands are made of the same material, so the only thing different is the design. As for the countries, bands are available with the flags of the USA, Great Britain, The Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, Jamaica, Canada, China, Brazil, Australia, Germany, and France.
These limited-edition Apple Watch bands will surely be a hit at the games in Brazil and will likely fetch high resell values online as collectors and Apple fanatics itch to get their hands on them. The bands will retail for $49 a piece at the Village Mall Apple Store.
It appears that one United States athlete has already gotten his hands on the USA version of the band. Sprinter Trayvon Bromell tweeted an image of his Apple Watch paired with the USA nylon strap earlier today.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Apple design limited-edition Apple Watch bands for specific events. For the San Francisco Pride parade last month, Apple designed rainbow-colored bands with red lugs to show support of equality. In this case, Apple only gave the bands out to employees, so consumers never had the chance to purchase them.
Ready for rio ! pic.twitter.com/p8PKJ3o5Fs
— IamTrayvonBromell (@TrayvonBromell) July 21, 2016
Limited-edition bands is a smart idea on Apple’s part, as is not selling them to everyone. In doing such, Apple is creating a market of rare bands that will drive diehard collectors and Apple fans to do whatever it takes to get their hands on them.
What do you think of Apple’s collection of flag-inspired Apple Watch bands? View the gallery below, courtesy of GQ, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
