Apple announces the Pride Edition Sport Band for 2023

This year’s Pride band and Watch face.

Apple has confirmed that iOS 16.5 ships in the week beginning May 15 in a press release announcing a new Pride Edition Sport Band to celebrate LGBTQ+ communities.

Get up, stand up

This year’s Pride Edition Sport Band is accompanied by a matching watch face and iOS wallpaper. The band showcases the original pride flag rainbow colors along with five other colors: black and brown symbolize Black and Latin communities and also those who have passed away from or are living with HIV/AIDS, while light blue, pink, and white represent transgender and nonbinary individuals.

“This year’s design integrates a joyful rainbow of geometric shapes on a white base, which are compression-molded into the final band,” Apple said. “In the forming process, the base material flows around each individual shape, creating small variations in their layout. No two bands are exactly alike, reflecting the individuality of all members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

Supporting LGBTQ+ advocacy

Apple continues work to support LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations working to bring about positive change, including Equality Federation Institute, an advocacy accelerator that is building a network of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations in the U.S., and GLSEN, an education organization working to end discrimination, harassment, and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.

Just as it did last year, additional advocacy organizations Apple supports include Encircle, The Trevor Project, the Equality Federation Institute, Equality North Carolina, Equality Texas, Gender Spectrum, GLSEN, Human Rights Campaign, ILGA World, The National Center for Transgender Equality, PFLAG, and SMYAL.

Available from May 23

The Pride Edition Sport Band will be available to order on apple.com and in the Apple Store App on May 23, and will be available at Apple Store locations beginning May 24 for $49 (US). The new Pride Celebration watch face and iPhone wallpaper will be available next week and requires watchOS 9.5 and iOS 16.5.

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