Following a recent legal defeat, Apple has strategically stated that it would no longer be offering the blood oxygen monitoring capability on its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the United States. The decision is made in the midst of a legal dispute between the tech giant and Masimo, a medical technology startup, over patents pertaining to the technology used in the blood oxygen monitoring feature.
Apple’s shares fell 0.5% to close at $182.68 after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided on Wednesday that the company could no longer sell the disputed models. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) had previously granted Masimo a ruling in December that resulted in a brief suspension of the devices’ imports.
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As the legal dispute plays out, Apple’s decision to deactivate the blood oxygen monitoring feature is perceived as a preventive action to maintain sales of the watches in one of its biggest markets. On Thursday at 6 a.m. Pacific Time, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 devices without this capability will be on sale both in-store and on Apple’s website.
Joe Kiani, the founder and CEO of Masimo, acknowledged the value of upholding intellectual property rights while expressing his happiness with the court’s decision. Apple has been charged by Masimo of recruiting its staff members and stealing pulse oximetry technology to use in Apple Watches.
Apple Voiced disagreement
Apple, on the other hand, maintains that the ITC ruling and any follow-up orders should be overturned and has voiced strong disagreement with them. The manufacturer maintains that the Series 9 and Ultra 2 devices available in the United States will retain the blood oxygen functionality, with a visible app icon. On the other hand, users who tap on these symbols will be notified that the services are not available.
It is speculated by analysts that Apple made a calculated decision to disable the blood oxygen characteristics rather than stop selling the watches in the US. With $39.84 billion of the company’s $383.29 billion in sales for the fiscal year 2023 coming from the wearables category, which includes the Apple Watch, wearable technology plays a major role in the company’s earnings.
Apple has asked that the ITC’s import restriction be put on hold indefinitely while the appeals process is ongoing. The legal battle is anticipated to last for around a year. The business is confident in its appeal, saying that the prohibition, if upheld, would have significant impacts on Apple, its suppliers, and the public.
The smartwatch market will be closely observing Apple’s response to this legal setback and how it plans to maintain its market share and strategic positioning in the wearables business.
"Pending the appeal, Apple is taking steps to comply with the ruling while ensuring customers have access to Apple Watch with limited disruption," Apple said. "These steps include introducing a version of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States without the Blood Oxygen feature. There is no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the Blood Oxygen feature."
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