Apple is releasing a ‘Black Unity’ limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6. The announcement is part of a much larger one where Apple details updates to multiple services, all of which are arriving in time for Black History Month. In the announcement, Apple explains how the new Apple Watch has been “designed to celebrate and acknowledge Black history and Black culture.”
The Apple Watch continually proves to be a popular smartwatch with one of its major selling points being an emphasis on health and well-being. Only recently, Apple launched an entire fitness-based subscription service revolved around the wearable. Of course, another reason why the Apple Watch has proven popular is the level of customization that’s on offer, with buyers able to choose from a variety of different styles.
Adding to that variety, Apple has now confirmed it will release a new limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6, featuring a Black Unity Sport Band and watch face. According to Apple, the limited-edition ‘Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity’ will be available to buy starting February 1. At the same time, existing Apple Watch owners will also be able to purchase the Black Unity Sport Band separately. In addition, a watchOS 7.3 update begins rolling out today, bringing with it the new Unity watch face to existing Apple Watch devices. As for pricing, the Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity starts at $399 in the United States while the GPS plus cellular model starts at $499. The Black Unity Sport Band will go on sale priced at $49 in the U.S. Interested buyers will be able to pick up Black Unity Collection products from either Apple or Target, both online and in store.
Apple’s ‘Black Unity Collection’
Apple’s Black Unity Collection looks to support a number of global organizations focused on advancing equality and civil rights in the U.S. The Watch was designed by “members of the Black creative community and allies throughout Apple” with the colors chosen to represent the Pan-African flag. However, the reaction on social media has been a little mixed so far. In spite of the aim and intention behind the new limited-edition model, not everyone believes this was not the right approach for a company like Apple to take. For example, some comments on Twitter have criticized the look of the device in general, while others highlight how consumers can better support black-owned businesses by actually purchasing products from black-owned businesses, instead of Apple.
Besides the launch of the Black Unity Collection Apple Watch 6, Apple is also releasing a number of updates to many of its services, including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Maps, Apple TV, and Apple News. Most of these updates involve the addition of new editorial collections that Apple explains are designed to “highlight and amplify Black creators, artists, developers, and businesses.”
