Apple is considering removing the blood oxygen monitoring feature from its newest Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, to avoid a ban on importing and selling the devices in the United States.
This strategy was revealed on Monday by medical device company Masimo Corp., which has been involved in an ongoing legal dispute with Apple over a patented technology related to measuring blood oxygen levels. Masimo stated that on January 12, US Customs and Border Protection approved Apple to remove the feature and determined that without it, the watches would no longer violate Masimo’s patents.
The potential import ban stems from an October 2022 ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission that Apple’s smartwatches infringed Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents. This led Apple to briefly suspend watch sales before Christmas, although a temporary suspension allowed sales to resume in late December.
Apple has since developed a software-based workaround aimed at preventing infringement of Masimo’s patents. The company presented this redesign to Customs officials last week, definitively stating that the revised watches do not contain the protected pulse oximetry technology. Masimo confirmed that without this feature, Apple products would comply with the ITC import ban.
The removal of blood oxygen monitoring would likely only occur if Apple’s appeal of the ITC decision is unsuccessful. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is expected to rule Tuesday on Apple’s motion to stay the ban for the duration of the appeal process.
Meanwhile, newly manufactured Apple Watch units with blood oxygen function continue to be sold. However, Apple has told retail stores not to open or sell modified watch models already delivered until corporate approval is granted, indicating contingency plans if the appeal fails.
Removing blood oxygen monitoring would be a major change for Apple after heavily marketing it as a key health feature. While it is critical to ensure that Apple Watch sales are not disrupted, the removal could impact consumer demand for the popular devices. The legal battle with Masimo highlights the balance between innovation and respect for intellectual property rights.
Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn