Apple will now send an Apple Watch Sport Band to people whose Solo Loop doesn't fit

Apple Watch Solo Loop Band (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

Apple is selling Apple Watch Series 6 with a new Solo Loop band.
People are struggling to order the right size for the non-adjustable band.
Apple previously told customers to return the whole order. But things are changing.

Alongside Apple Watch Series 6 and Apple Watch SE, Apple also announced some new bands last week. Both of those bands are causing problems in terms of sizing, however, with people ordering a size that's too big more often than not. After initially telling everyone to send their whole order back for exchange, Apple has now reversed course. At least, that's according to leaker Jon Prosser.

Tweeting overnight, Prosser says that Apple has now decided that it will send out a free Apple Watch Sport Band that can tide people over while they wait for their replacement band to be sent out. Given the lack of availability right now, Apple seems to want to make sure people have a band that they can at least wear while they wait for their order to be sorted out properly.

Update to this:

You can now return your Solo Loop bands without having to return the whole Watch.

Just call Apple — if it’s your first Apple Watch order, they’ll send a replacement Sport band (traditional style) in surf blue or cactus colors. pic.twitter.com/JtJmxnMXZpUpdate to this:

You can now return your Solo Loop bands without having to return the whole Watch.

Just call Apple — if it’s your first Apple Watch order, they’ll send a replacement Sport band (traditional style) in surf blue or cactus colors. pic.twitter.com/JtJmxnMXZp— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 23, 2020 September 23, 2020

However, while Prosser says the band will be sent out, it isn't yet clear whether the Sport Band will need to be returned to Apple once a replacement Solo Loop has been sent out. If not, this could turn out to be a way to get a free Sport Band out of Apple.

Yes.

They’ll certainly make sure you get your Solo Loop band — but due to the limited quantities right now, they’ll give you a traditional Sport band to hold you over.Yes.

They’ll certainly make sure you get your Solo Loop band — but due to the limited quantities right now, they’ll give you a traditional Sport band to hold you over.— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 23, 2020 September 23, 2020

Let's hope nobody abuses all of this if that turns out to be the case.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.