Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman shared on X that Apple could be ditching leather for Apple Watch bands. This comes after he talked about the leather-free iPhone 15 case leaks. In a later update, Gurman mentioned that Apple employees might be getting sweet discounts on Hermès bands as Apple clears out its leather stock.
Update on that assumption: I’m told that Apple last month started offering employees its Hermes leather accessories (and leather link bands) at up to 90% off. Clearly some inventory clearing going on. The internal deal continues but everything is out of stock. https://t.co/fBrLlTY9kC
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 5, 2023
Although discounts for Apple employees typically signal the clearance or discontinuation of a product line, it’s uncertain whether Apple would entirely cut ties with a premium brand like Hermès. Luckily, we’ll have a clearer picture soon, as the Apple Wonderlust event is just a week away.
Earlier, another rumor suggested that Apple would replace the leather bands for the Apple Watch Series 9 with a new Watch band with woven fabric materials and a magnetic buckle.
The move from leather to fabric materials has led Gurman to predict that environmental and sustainability themes will play a bigger role than usual in the September 12 event, when we’re anticipating the unveiling of not only the iPhone 15 series and Watch Series 9 but also a brand-new Watch Ultra.
Apple’s choice to part ways with leather might be driven by environmental concerns, given that leather production has a notably high carbon footprint. The company makes commitments to being more environmentally conscious, so discontinuing leather accessories aligns with its values.
Yet, if the choice indeed involves completely abandoning leather bands and cases, it could disappoint many customers who appreciate the premium quality of leather, especially those who fancy Hermès.
