Apple discontinues sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 over blood oxygen sensor patent dispute
Apple has announced that it will soon discontinue sales of
Apple halting Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 sales: Here's why - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2023/12/18/apple-halting-apple-watch-series-9-and-apple-watch-ultra-2-sales/
Apple halts US sales of Watch before Christmas after losing patent case
https://www.ft.com/content/52a15bec-8dc2-4a19-9749-8b353c53035c
Apple to pull Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 this week due to ITC ban - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/18/24006080/apple-watch-ban-series-9-ultra-2-itc-import
Apple has been sued by medical device manufacturer Masimo alleging that the blood oxygen sensor installed in the Apple Watch infringes its patent. In this case, in October 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) accepted Masimo's complaint and issued an exclusion order against Apple, stating that ``unless this feature is removed, imports into the United States are prohibited.'' Did.
The US International Trade Commission rules that the Apple Watch's blood oxygen wellness measurement function infringes the patent of medical device manufacturer Masimo - GIGAZINE
Following the ITC's ruling, the matter will now be reviewed by President Joe Biden. President Biden could veto import bans, but there have been very few cases in which American presidents have used the veto power.
Apple has announced that it will discontinue sales of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 as it takes 'preemptive' steps to comply with the ITC's ruling. Apple's official web store will stop selling eligible Apple Watches from 3:00 p.m. local time on December 21, 2023, and retail stores in the United States will stop selling eligible Apple Watches from December 24, 2023.
Apple stated that the ITC's ruling 'only impacts sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.' This is because these devices are equipped with blood oxygen monitoring capabilities. Therefore, the lower model Apple Watch SE, which is not equipped with a blood oxygen sensor, is not affected and will continue to be sold.
Please note that the ITC's ruling only ``prohibits Apple from directly selling the affected models,'' so at the time of writing, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch are being sold at third-party retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy. Selling Ultra 2 is no problem.
However, as a result of this ruling, Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be prohibited from being imported into the United States after December 25, 2023, and Apple will also be prohibited from selling these devices to resellers. . Therefore, if President Biden upholds the ITC's ruling, it may become difficult to obtain the Apple Watch at other retailers.
On the other hand, Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen sensors that are already on sale will not be affected by this ruling. The blood oxygen sensor is the first sensor installed in Apple Watch Series 6, which was released in 2020. You can learn how to measure blood oxygen concentration with an Apple Watch equipped with a blood oxygen sensor by reading the article below.
Summary of how to use the ``Blood Oxygen Wellness App'' that can measure blood oxygen concentration with ``Apple Watch Series 6'' - GIGAZINE
It is unclear how long the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 will be discontinued, and if President Biden upholds the ITC's ruling, Apple could appeal to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Apple told 9to5Mac that it plans to file an appeal on December 26, 2023. However, even if Apple appeals, the ban on importing and selling Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 will not be lifted.
The Masimo patent that Apple Watch allegedly infringes will expire in August 2028.
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in Hardware, Posted by logu_ii