© iWalk
Starting Thursday, in the United States, it will no longer be possible to purchase an Apple Watch Series 9 or an Apple Watch Ultra 2 from the Apple Online Store. The same goes for the Apple firm's physical stores, from December 24.
Apple explains that this decision is due to an intellectual property conflict concerning the blood oximeter. This sensor is actually integrated under the hood of both devices, but its design would be too close to a patent held by Masimo. A company which also owns the Bowers & Wilkins or Denon, but which also sells equipment to healthcare professionals working in hospitals. Also listed on the NASDAQ, the manufacturer is now worth more than six billion dollars – against three thousand for Apple.
A serious matter ?
In all likelihood, Masimo clearly cannot be called a patent troll. Unlike, for example, VirnetX.
And for good reason: the manufacturer has been offering its devices to doctors for many years, even before Apple Watches were available on the market. As a reminder, the blood oximeter only arrived on Cupertino's connected watches with the Apple Watch Series 6. However, this arrived on the market in September 2020.
For the moment, we do not know if the Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch Series 8 will also be removed from shelves . But the latter are also equipped with the Blood Oximeter app, installed natively. The legal action still does not concern French territory, however. We should therefore continue to be able to stock up on wearables in the coming weeks, in France.
Price, availability and alternatives
The second generation Apple Watch Ultra is today the most expensive model available from Tim Cook's company, with an entry price of 899 euros all the same. The Apple Watch Series 9 presents itself as rather good value for money, with a minimum price of 449 euros (or 569 euros with 4G compatibility). As for the latest Apple Watch SE, it is unfortunately not equipped with the blood oximeter, but does have the heart rate sensor, the pedometer or even the monitoring of menstruation cycles and fall detection.
At Samsung, the Galaxy Watch 6 is also entitled to measure the oxygen level in the blood. Here you need to count on 319 euros to buy it (40 millimeter dial), or 349 euros for the 44 millimeter version.
Finally, we can also cite the case of Xiaomi's Poco Watch, which also strangely resembles an Apple Watch. The Poco Watch can also detect stress, and offers, according to the brand, endurance of fourteen days. The device is sold for around 90 euros.
- The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 are withdrawn from sale in the United States
- Their blood oximeter would infringe the intellectual property of the Masimo company
- The decision does not affect the French market
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