Apple is known for wallet-damaging price tags, so it came as no surprise when the company announced it was selling additional Apple Watch bands for hundreds of pounds.
But despite the pricy proposition, it appears that the spare straps are actually something of a hit.
According to data obtained by Reuters, approximately
The cheapest metal/leather bands you can currently buy from Apple in the UK cost £129.
There’s also a Sport Band available for purchase at £39. These cost £1.29 to produce, as estimated by technology research firm IHS.
The most expensive is the stainless steel link bracelet, which prices up at a staggering £379 – that’s more than a standard Apple Watch.
Related: Apple Watch vs Android Wear
It’s not yet clear how many Apple Watch units have been sold, but analyst firm Slice estimates the figure at around 2.79 million as of mid-June.
That would put strap sales at more than 550,000 units. Sales reports suggest the most popular band is the black Sport option, closely followed by the £129 Milanese loop.
Of course, we don’t know exactly how popular each strap is, so we can’t accurately estimate resultant revenue.
Whatever the case, the fact that one in five customers buy a spare strap
is a clear sign that the Apple Watch is a lucrative venture for the
Californian tech giant.
If, like us, you’re still stuck on whether the Apple Watch is the next big thing, check out our Apple Watch: Race Across London video to see how the wearable fares in the real world:
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.