Apple to remove blood-oxygen feature from smartwatches to avoid ban
Apple is thinking about removing the blood-oxygen feature from its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches to dodge a potential US ban if an appeal doesn't go their way. This information comes from Masimo, the company that has been at odds with Apple over patents related to this technology. On January 12, US Customs and Border Protection gave the approval for Apple's redesign, stating that it doesn't fall under the import ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission (ITC).
ITC ruling and Apple's appeal
Back in October, the ITC found that Apple's newer smartwatches infringed on Masimo patents concerning blood-oxygen measurement. This led Apple to halt sales of the smartwatches before Christmas. However, a temporary stay allowed Apple to resume sales late last month. The tech giant is now waiting for the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to decide on its motion for a stay during the entire appeal period, which could last a year or more.
Redesigned watches and pulse oximetry
To avoid further conflict, Apple created a software workaround and presented it to the customs agency last week. Masimo says that Apple claims the redesigned watches "definitively" do not contain pulse oximetry technology. "Apple's claim that its redesigned watch does not contain pulse oximetry is a positive step toward accountability," Massio said adding that it's important for big companies like Apple to respect intellectual property rights and follow ITC orders.
Impact on customer demand and appeal outcome
Taking out the blood-oxygen feature could be a big deal for Apple, as Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tamlin Bason pointed out that it "could dent customer demand." In the meantime, Apple's operations team has started shipping modified Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches to US stores in case the appeal doesn't work out. A federal appeals court is expected to hear an Apple motion for a continued stay on the ban as early as this week.
