Apple’s special Black Unity collections began with the only special edition Apple Watch the company has ever produced — the Black Unity Apple Watch Series 6 — accompanied by a Black Unity Sport Band and a Unity Watch Face that appeared in a watchOS 7.3 update.

While the Black Unity Sport Band and Unity Watch face could be used on any model of Apple Watch, the special edition Apple Watch Series 6 was unique in that it featured “Black Unity” laser-etched into the circle of text around the rear sensor.

The sport band and watch face were designed to complement each other, using a matching color scheme representing the Pan-African flag, which Apple described as: “red for the blood that unites people of the African Diaspora and was shed for their liberation, black for the people whose existence is affirmed by the flag, and green for the vibrant natural wealth of Africa, the Motherland.” The band also featured a stainless steel fastening pin with the words “Truth. Power. Solidarity” laser-engraved on the inside.

While the special edition Apple Watch Series 6 turned out to be a one-off, Apple followed up its original Black Unity collection in 2022 with Unity Lights, a new watch face in watchOS 8.3 that was designed to accompany a Black Unity Braided Solo Loop that featured “the vibrant red and green colors of the Pan-African flag appear[ing] like speckled light across the black band.”

The last Unity watch face to arrive in 2023 was Unity Mosaic, a more abstract design that uses geometric shapes in green, black, red, and yellow that morph into new forms as the time changes, and a new Black Unity Sport Loop with the word “Unity” woven into the band using red, green, and black yarns.

Unity Bloom

Apple is going in a different direction this year with Unity Bloom. This vibrant and flowery design, Apple says, was “inspired by the resilience and beauty of the Black community” and represents “Pan-Africanism and generations working together to address injustice and dismantle systemic barriers.”

The band returns to the Sport Band used in the 2021 Black Unity Collection, marked by an abstract arrangement of red, green, and yellow flowers “inspired by the rich cultural diversity of Black communities around the world.” Much like last year’s Pride Edition Sport Band, the design uses a unique layering process that creates tiny variations in each band’s design so that no two are exactly alike.

The 2024 Black Unity Sport Band also features the same etching of the words “Truth. Power. Solidarity” on the inside, accompanied by one of the four symbolic flower emblems.

Naturally, there will also be a new Unity Bloom Watch Face to accompany it, which Apple says “showcases a beautiful floral design that signifies a lasting commitment to the pursuit of a more equitable world.” The face will support either a full-bloom or single-bloom arrangement, with the flowers showing a blooming animation when the wearer raises their wrist.

In 2022, Apple also began creating complementary iPhone and iPad wallpapers to go with each Unity watch face, and this year is no exception. Thanks to the new Lock Screen features introduced in iOS 16, these will be available as part of iOS 17.3 when it ships.

Since Apple says the Unity Bloom watch face and wallpapers will be available next week, and those require iOS 17.3 and watchOS 10.3, the company has also just given us a tacit confirmation on when we can expect the next iPhone and Apple Watch software updates to arrive.

The Black Unity Sport Band is $49 and can be ordered from the online Apple Store starting today. It should be arriving in select Apple Store locations on January 23.