Apple on Tuesday launched a new limited-edition Apple Watch Series 6, Sport Band, and watch face, as well as “a variety of new and updated collections and exclusive content that highlight and amplify Black creators, artists, developers, and businesses” to celebrate Black History Month in February.
Editor’s note 2/1/21: The Limited Edition Apple Watch Series 6 Black Unity Aluminum Case with Sport Band is now available through February only to order. The Black Unity Sports Band is also available and can be purchased throughout the year . .
The Apple Watch Series 6 looks the same as the Space Gray aluminum model with one change: on the back, there is a laser-etched bold “Black Unity” around the heart-rate sensor where the model description is. Apple has decreased the kerning on the rest of the words to fit the phrase, which appears in the top right of the circle.
The special-edition watch also includes a new Black Unity Sport Band “made from individual pieces of colored fluoroelastomer, which are assembled by hand and compression-molded into one.” The band has “Truth. Power. Solidarity.” laser-engraved onto the interior of the black fastening pin and is comprised of black, red, and green swatches to pay tribute to the Pan-African flag. A matching Unity watch face, which “creates an ever-changing pattern that dynamically shifts as Apple Watch moves,” will also be available.
Apple is offering a commemorative watch face, and wallpapers for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. To get the watch face, open this link on your iPhone. To get the wallpapers, go to the Apple Watch website, and then in the Black Unity section, click the “FInd out more” button. In the pop-up that appears, you’ll find the wallpapers in the “Unity on display” section.
Finally, there’s a new Unity Activity Challenge with a limited-edition badge for closing the Move ring seven days in a row during the month of February.
In addition to the Apple Watch Black Unity collection, Apple is also recognizing Black History Month across its family of services:
In the App Store, there will be a “Black History Month Hub, which will spotlight Black-owned businesses, developers, entertainment and gaming apps, and social justice apps.”
Apple Music will launch a “monthlong experience” featuring curated playlists, essays, original videos, and more from Black influencers, musicians, authors, and directors.
The Apple TV app will spotlight a new “Essential Stories” theme to honor Black families with films and TV shows. There are also new “Oprah Conversation” episodes featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson and her book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.”
Apple News+ will have a Spotlight collection with audio articles that “celebrate the Black experience” and Apple Books, Fitness+, and Podcasts will highlight Black artists, writers, and creators.
AppleThe Black Unity Apple Watch collection will go on sale on February 1 at Apple.com. The watch starts at $399 and will be available exclusively during the month of February while the band will cost $50 and will be sold throughout the year. The Unity watch face will be available as part of watchOS 7.3, and requires an iPhone 6s or later running iOS 14.4, both of which will arrive as an update later today.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.