Apple Watch Band Locking Issues Emerge

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Early adopters of the Apple Watch reported that the heart rate sensor and skin contact registration did not work properly for users that have full sleeve tattoos, and now an issue with malfunctioning band locking mechanisms has been reported.

Band fault sees Apple Watch fall to floor, scratch

MacRumors forum member Smickers has shared his bad experience with fellow users, posting a video of his nonfunctioning band locking mechanism.

“So, I took off my jacket Sunday and out of the sleeve comes my SS Apple Watch and drops on the floor and slides for a bit before stopping. Turns out the locking mechanism wasn’t locking the strap,” he wrote on the forum. “On closer inspection it requires a number of tries, pulling and pushing the strap to get it to lock. It’s just the top strap. One scratched casing, with the glass fine.”

After the mishap, Smickers claims to have contacted Apple in order to get a replacement Watch through AppleCare. Before agreeing to any exchange, Apple requested that he send the device to Ireland so that it could be inspected by an engineering team. After doing so, Smickers received a confirmation from Apple that it would be sending him a brand new Apple Watch within 24 hours as a replacement for the faulty model.

Swift response to incident from Apple

Apple appears to have moved quickly to avoid any bad press linked to the incident, and must be hoping that the problem is not widespread. So far it only seems to have affected a limited number of users. Another affected user of the MacRumors forum is known as Ryxmd, and he added his testimony: “I had this same problem when I first received my SS Apple Watch with Milanese Loop,” he said. “I had it on my wrist and noticed that the top strap had some movement. I took off the watch and tried to get it to lock in. After 3-4 tries, it finally locked into place.”

The fact that the first-generation Apple Watch may suffer a few minor issues should come as no surprise, especially given the fact that the Watch is the company’s first new product category since 2010. Apple should be applauded for its response to the incident, and it seems inevitable that any minor issues will be swiftly fixed.

Source: MacRumors

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