In a significant development, Apple, the tech giant, is poised to eliminate a vital health feature from its latest Watch models, following a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The pulse oximetry feature, allowing users to monitor their blood oxygen levels, will no longer be included in new iterations of the Watch.
This decision stems from an ongoing legal clash with Masimo, a prominent health technology company, which alleges that Apple infringed upon its patents related to blood analysis technology. The dispute resulted in a temporary ban on the sale of Apple Watches over the Christmas period, and the recent court ruling prohibits the company from selling the models at the core of the legal dispute.
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Masimo’s claim centers around Apple’s alleged infringement on its patents related to the technology used for analyzing blood oxygen levels. Joe Kiani, Masimo’s founder and CEO, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing its affirmation of the importance of respecting the intellectual rights of American inventors.
Despite Apple’s strong disagreement with the ruling, the company has opted to comply with the court’s decision. Consequently, new Watch models will no longer feature the pulse oximetry function. While existing Watches remain unaffected, this change may influence Apple’s position in the competitive wearables market.
Apple Watches currently command about a quarter of the global smartwatch market, according to Counterpoint Research. The court ruling has already led to a 0.5% decrease in Apple’s shares, closing at $182.68. Industry analysts speculate that the removal of the blood oxygen feature could potentially impact Apple’s sales in the health and fitness-focused wearables segment.
The Series 9 and Ultra 2 models, sold in the U.S. from Thursday, will maintain the appearance of previous models, with the blood oxygen feature seemingly disabled in software. Users attempting to access the app icon for blood oxygen features will be notified that the functionality is no longer available.
