• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechApple

Apple Watch Gets $50 Price Cut and New Watchbands

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 21, 2016, 2:19 PM ET

Apple made the somewhat surprising announcement at its special press event on Monday that its Apple Watch is becoming a bit more affordable.

The tech giant (AAPL) touted its Apple Watch is now on sale for $299, a $50 price cut compared to the $349 starting price the device was offered for last year when it launches. It’s the first time Apple has dropped the price for its connected smartwatch.

In addition to a price cut, as expected, Apple showcased some new watchbands for the device, including a woven nylon option available in four colors. Apple added a space black version of its Milanese Loop will also make its way to the Apple Watch on top of new sport and leather watch bands.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Apple held its special press event on March 21 at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. The company hinted that watchbands could make a showing at the event in coyly naming the show, “Let us loop you in.” Several Apple rumor sites also suggested that the company had been planning to debut new wristbands at the event in addition to leaks earlier this year suggesting the iPhone maker was working on more accessories for its wearable.

CEO Tim Cook justified his company’s decision to launch new wristbands, saying that “about a third of our Apple Watch wearers regularly change their bands.”

Still, Cook wouldn’t provide the single data point that many Apple investors and analysts have been hoping to hear: how many wearables the company has actually sold. While most industry analysts agree that the Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch in the world, Apple has said that it won’t announce its sales figures. Cook and others have argued that doing so would help competitors.

For more about Apple, watch:

Nevertheless, Cook would only say that Apple Watch owners “love” the device and have become a part of their daily lives.

Apple’s decision to cut the price on its Apple Watch, however, calls into question just how well the Apple Watch is doing. Price cuts are usually employed to boost sales. While it’s unknown how many Apple Watch units have sold, several major retailers, including Target (TGT), have been selling the Apple Watch at a starting price of $299 for months. It’s possible that’s been a reaction to slowing sales or just an attempt to garner some attention in the crowded field of retailers already selling the wearable. Whether Apple’s price cut is an effort to build demand or just catch up to its retail partners is unknown.

Read more: Apple March ‘Loop You In’ Event: Live Blog

Regardless, the new lowest-end Apple Watch Sport is available now for $299 on Apple’s website and in stores. The company’s online store has also added several new Apple Watch models featuring the new wristbands.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
C-Suite
OpenAI’s Sam Altman says his highly disciplined daily routine has ‘fallen to crap’—and now unwinds on weekends at a ranch with no cell phone service
By Jacqueline MunisFebruary 5, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Meet the Palm Beach billionaire who paid $2 million for a private White House visit with Trump
By Tristan BoveFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
After decades in the music industry, Pharrell Williams admits he never stops working: ‘If you do what you love everyday, you’ll get paid for free'
By Emma BurleighFebruary 3, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Travel & Leisure
How Japan replaced France as the country young Americans obsessively romanticize—they’re longing for civility they don’t see at home
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Investing
Ray Dalio warns the world is ‘on the brink’ of a capital war of weaponizing money—and gold is the best way for people to protect themselves
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 4, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump is giving the U.S. economy a $65 billion tax-refund shot in the arm, mostly for higher-income people, BofA says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 5, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

CEO and co-founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei speaking on stage.
AIAnthropic
Anthropic’s newest model excels at finding security vulnerabilities—but raises fresh cybersecurity risks
By Beatrice NolanFebruary 6, 2026
6 hours ago
Arts & EntertainmentSuper Bowl
Many 2026 Super Bowl ads share a common theme, revealing a truth about America’s current mindset
By Mae Anderson and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
8 hours ago
Cybersecuritydeepfakes
In the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mom, AI deepfakes add to the mystery
By Barbara Ortutay, Ed White and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
8 hours ago
Google data center
Big TechData centers
Big Tech’s $630 billion AI spree now rivals Sweden’s economy, unsettling investors: ‘We’ve never invested this much on anything before’
By Jake AngeloFebruary 6, 2026
8 hours ago
AISocial Network
Moltbook, the Reddit for bots, alarms the tech world as agents start their own religion and plot to overthrow humans
By Kaitlyn Huamani and The Associated PressFebruary 6, 2026
9 hours ago
AISpaceX
Musk predicts more AI capacity will be in orbit than on earth in 5 years, with SpaceX becoming a ‘hyper-hyper’ scaler
By Jason MaFebruary 6, 2026
9 hours ago