Apple Updates Website to Highlight Removal of Apple Watch Blood Oxygen Feature

[ssledoux]

Oh you don't say

It feels like if they are removing a feature though the price should reflect that. Or maybe since they have "Freedom" they should now charge MORE for it without the O2 sensor lol.

I’m pretty certain the watch was the same price before they offered that feature - can’t remember for sure what I paid for the first few watches. No one complained that they didn’t up the price each time they added new features. There’s always the SE model for those who want a lower price.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Wow, they're really gonna do it. They're actually gonna sell their customers a gimped Apple Watch instead of just paying Masimo a royalty for the patents they stole. Apple is actually that petty.

Is this the Apple you remember? Is this the Apple where Steve Jobs famously said "we don't ship junk?" I guess not. They would rather sell you an objectively inferior product at the same price than admit they were wrong.

Remember this for the future

 

[IphoneX9753]

Seems to me the values of the 6, 7, 8 and AWU1 just went up on the secondary market.

 

[kmichalec]

They aren't going to turn off the Blood Ox app on existing, already purchased watches and Nerf them, are they?

*edit* Sorry, realized I missed the last sentence of the article below the DylanMcD social post. Sounds like they are not going to impact already sold watches, but I'll be curious to see how they do that. Maybe if the new watches have a different model, the code can query the model, and if existing model, keep it on, if the new model, turn it off.

 

[gank41]

They're actually gonna sell their customers a gimped Apple Watch instead of just paying Masimo a royalty for the patents they stole.

It's important to note that Apple believes they are not actually using the same tech as what's being claimed. That's why they're fighting this and not just paying them licensing fees.

 

[gank41]

They aren't going to turn off the Blood Ox app on existing, already purchased watches and Nerf them, are they?

No. Again, this only impacts IMPORTING them to the US. Models here already are not being impacted. No clue how they're going to manage that, but that's their claim.

 

[deckard666]

Possibly the worst bit of PR apple has let slip in years.....Also makes them look like arrogant and aloof.

 

[gank41]

Possibly the worst bit of PR apple has let slip in years.....Also makes them look like arrogant and aloof.

Considering Apple is still appealing this and could still yet win overall, it very well could be Masimo that eats crow and loses revenue in the end. Who knows!

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[JCCL]

I’m pretty certain the watch was the same price before they offered that feature - can’t remember for sure what I paid for the first few watches. No one complained that they didn’t up the price each time they added new features. There’s always the SE model for those who want a lower price.

That's not the same though. It is expected a NEW model (for example, a Series 6 that was the first to have oximeter) would offer new features, otherwise why would anyone upgrade their older model? Here, it is the same model (Ultra 2 or Series 9) with one less feature than units of the same model that you could buy yesterday.

 

[CharlesShaw]

They aren't going to turn off the Blood Ox app on existing, already purchased watches and Nerf them, are they?

I imagine we can look forward to breathless headlines with every WatchOS update, either way it goes.

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Just guess, you’ll be as accurate.

I've tested my Series 6 here at work against a medical SpO2 sensor (a Massimo Sensor, actually) and the results were within 0.2%.

I don't care if my next watch has it or not, personally. I never use it except for the novelty.

 

[I7guy]

Do they still ask for the same prices? I think with a $100 discount customers would be satisfied. For $100 you can buy a dedicated blood oxygen monitor.

Better yet, don’t buy an AW. Do they increase the price for new features?

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Do they still ask for the same prices? I think with a $100 discount customers would be satisfied. For $100 you can buy a dedicated blood oxygen monitor.

You can buy can choose from many on Amazon from $15-$30.. They are just as if not more accurate than the one on the Apple Watch

 

[Glideslope]

That's one of "THE" feature I wanted so I bought the aW8 when it came out. If they lose this case will they remove it on the next software update for aW8 series?

I don’t think models up to Series 9’s ending with LL/A will be nerfed. However, there will not be an answer until we see what happens in the next few days.

I just don’t see Apple pushing a nerf out to millions of Series 6,7,8,9 if they are not required to. I see nothing indicating they are required to implement said action.

 

[StangGT909]

I think everyone is forgetting the future products

Isn't the Series 10 supposed to feature Sleep Apnea detection?

I think at this point the Blood Oxygen sensor is an older feature anyhow and maybe not a differentiator

If there's new tech/software that can enable the sleep apnea detection that IMO would be a huge "2024 - New Feature". If this hypothetically is never resolved, that would have far greater fallout on the Series 10 than the products offered today.

I would suspect that's the big fish that the two companies are fighting over the license fee now, (not as much for today's S9)

 

[arkitect]

Th blood oxygen sensor on my Garmin watch significantly reduces battery life. Is it really worth the trouble? Is Garmin going to run afoul of these patents too?

Well, perhaps they are using their own technology, or… shockingly! They are paying royalties to the inventor.

This is not unusual.

 

[Wagbh]

I'm just trying to understand how they're doing this from a technical standpoint.

The models on sale in the US from today have a different part number. So are they crushing all the previous inventory? Will they be able to add back the feature retroactively via software if they settle with Masimo or win an appeal?
Or have they actually removed a hardware component from the new one?

Seems complicated

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

It's important to note that Apple believes they are not actually using the same tech as what's being claimed. That's why they're fighting this and not just paying them licensing fees.

"I disagree with that notion officer. I didn't steal that vase. This vase just looks similar to what I made."

Doesn't matter what they think, court found in favor of Masimo. Apple got caught stealing, plain and simple, and they failed to prove they didn't. The only reason they're appealing as much as possible is because they wanna avoid having to pay a royalty for the patents they stole.

 

[Glideslope]

I'm just trying to understand how they're doing this from a technical standpoint.

The models on sale in the US from today have a different part number. So are they crushing all the previous inventory? Will they be able to add back the feature retroactively via software if they settle with Masimo or win an appeal?
Or have they actually removed a hardware component from the new one?

Seems complicated

I believe they have stopped signing the App in Models ending in LW/A.

 

[gank41]

I'm just trying to understand how they're doing this from a technical standpoint.

The models on sale in the US from today have a different part number. So are they crushing all the previous inventory? Will they be able to add back the feature retroactively via software if they settle with Masimo or win an appeal?
Or have they actually removed a hardware component from the new one?

Seems complicated

I'm wondering this as well. Since it's only changing in Software, not hardware? That's my understanding. They're not manufacturing tons of new iPhones with a missing or removed component. How can they differentiate between S9 & Ultra 2 Watches already here in the states? Because this only impacts models being imported into the states, not ones already here.

 

[gank41]

"I disagree with that notion officer. I didn't steal that vase. This vase just looks similar to what I made."

Doesn't matter what they think, court found in favor of Masimo. Apple got caught stealing, plain and simple, and they failed to prove they didn't. The only reason they're appealing as much as possible is because they wanna avoid having to pay a royalty for the patents they stole.

Exactly, and just like any other legal case or arrest, the defendant has the right to appeal. You can say stealing and others can say Masimo is wrong. None of us are Patent Experts. And none of us know the FULL details of this, other than the limited info about what's been happening over the last 10 years or so.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

This stinks of greed from a trillion dollar company.

 

[FlyingDutch]

A demonstration on how stupid the patent system is… the tech is still there. It just doesn’t have the app…
So you are not really protecting the IP but only the business related to that

 

[arkitect]

Possibly the worst bit of PR apple has let slip in years.....Also makes them look like arrogant and aloof.

👍
Unfortunately that's also how many Apple fans look to others.
Maybe they take their cure from the company.

 

[switz]

Existing equipment in consumer's hands can not be changed without compensation.