As I swapped out the band today on my Apple Watch Ultra to my original ‘Developer’ blue sport band, I was struck by what a nice, but simple thing it is that Apple has maintained compatibility with watch bands for over 8 years.

In a world of ‘planned obsolescence’ and tons and tons of e-waste, it’s nice that one small piece of the Apple ecosystem has persisted for so long. Of course, every time a new watch is announced, there’s always a chance that this persistence will cease, but for at least 8 years running, I’ve been able to keep swapping my O.G. band with every iteration of watch I’ve owned. Thanks Apple!