Apple Won't Be Able to Repair Out-of-Warranty Apple Watches Due to Import Ban

[IIGS User]

I have an Ultra 1, and to be honest I don't anticipate any issues with it. My Series 4 was durable and a good product until the battery started to go south.

I have Applecare+ on my Ultra. When I saw the repair costs on that thing, I saw Applecare+ as a worthy investment. I got Applecare on my most recent MBP as well.

However, given Apple typically replaces a unit that needs service with a new one, what happens if my watch with Applecare+ needs service?

EDIT. I read the article. Covered. Good to know.

 

[GMShadow]

I have an Ultra 1, and to be honest I don't anticipate any issues with it. My Series 4 was durable and a good product until the battery started to go south.

I have Applecare+ on my Ultra. When I saw the repair costs on that thing, I saw Applecare+ as a worthy investment. I got Applecare on my most recent MBP as well.

However, given Apple typically replaces a unit that needs service with a new one, what happens if my watch with Applecare+ needs service?

Shouldn't be an issue as it's a swap then, not an actual purchase like out-of-warranty repairs are.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

This seems to be hurting consumers as well as Apple.

I agree.

Seems like better solutions would exist... just say that Apple has to put, ie, $100 into an escrow account for every Apple Watch they sell in the iterim. Whomever prevails in the end gets the money.

It should be enough money that Apple is heavily incentivized to come to an agreement with Masimo. But not so much that Apple is encouraged to harm consumers and pull it off the market. And since it's just sitting in an escrow account until it's resolved, Masimo is also incentivized to reach an agreement with Apple.

 

[msackey]

I mean. Let’s be real… this ban will not fully go into effect. There’s just no way…

Why not?

 

[hieranonymous]

The fact that Apple has let things get this bad astounds me. They have the deepest pockets and the best lawyers. They should’ve just acquired Masimo like they intended to do at one point, or settled with them. Whatever those actions would have cost, it couldn’t have been more than the sums Apple will lose due to the sales ban, not to mention the perceptual hit to the brand and the concomitant hit to their stock price. Apple has had to pull one of its core product lines because of this mismanagement. I generally feel like Tim Cook knows what he’s doing, but this really feels … chaotic and inept.

 

[jvchappy]

Wow this is nuts. A single product feature affecting reparability for an entire product line? US Trade Office needs to punt this for the courts to figure it out...

 

[gaximus]

I'm sure this will increase the sales of the Masimo Smart watch, as they intended.

 

[jz0309]

The only way to rectify it is to get that ridiculous patent voided. And Apple is working on it, but the courts are slow.

That is NOT the only way - Apple could reach an agreement with Masimo to settle this, cross licensing or whatever.
It is now on Apple to get the patent "voided" and that can still take years ...

This is now going to hurt us consumers, so that's what apple needs to consider

 

[turbineseaplane]

Wow this is nuts.

It's not "nuts"

It's a megacorp playing fast and loose and stealing IP

I'm personally delighted to see them being held to account

 

[squirrellydw]

I mean...it just did. You can no longer buy the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 on Apple's website or anywhere in the US. Even older models can no longer be purchased

Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 No Longer Available From U.S. Online Store

As promised, Apple today stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in its online store in the United States, with the devices...

www.macrumors.com

The only Apple Watch Apple can legally sell is the SE since it doesn't have blood oxygen monitoring so there's no patent it's infringing on

You can still buy them from stores, just not apple. Once stores like best buy run out of them then you won't be able to buy them.

 

[DevyniColiai]

It's not "nuts"

It's a megacorp playing fast and loose and stealing IP

I'm personally delighted to see them being held to account

There is a fair chance last of the patents will be invalidated. Stealing what exactly? Did they break in and steal schematics?

 

[revfife]

They should just buy Masimo.

 

[turbineseaplane]

There is a fair chance last of the patents will be invalidated. Stealing what exactly? Did they break in and steal schematics?

Stole IP and hired away staff after showing partnership/acquistion interest (to learn inside details)

Please don't defend Apple on this

This is incredibly unsavory and pathetic behavior from a company with Apple's resources

 

[HazeAndHahmahneez]

They should just buy Masimo.

Not if they don’t wanna sell. This story just keeps getting zanier and zanier...

 

[rafark]

This seems to be hurting consumers as well as Apple.

It’s apple’s fault for infringing a patent and for failing to settle this dispute. You can be 101% sure if another company was infringing an Apple patent apple would go nuclear on them.

 

[rwilliams]

Damn, I was going to take my Series 6 in for a battery replacement after Christmas, if I get the Ultra 2 I think I’m getting. It’s crazy that Apple has let this get this far.

 

[addamas]

Maybe they learn to fix it this time not replace? What a time to life
Right to repair 💪

 

[dominiongamma]

Geez. I'm still in my return window for my Ultra 2 thanks to the extended window we get for Christmas, so I'll be keeping an eye on this. No resolution before then and I think I'll probably just return it to see how this all shakes out.

Return it, just wait for ultra 3

 

[Kierkegaarden]

There seems to be a misunderstanding about what this means. From what I read, Apple will not be able to replace these devices out of warranty until the ban is lifted. If you have AC+, you will be covered like normal. If you don’t have AC+, I would absolutely try to get it immediately as a precaution. I think you can also continue to renew if you’re at the end of your current coverage (not positive though).

 

[mdriftmeyer]

It sounds like someone (a former employee of Masimo) didn’t do their job and make sure they didn’t use the same design from their last job. Someone else failed to make sure that guy didn’t just copy and paste.

A lot of headache for a lot of people who didn’t need one.

If you've seen the patents themselves they aren't remotely recognizable to the Apple designs.

 

[dannyyankou]

I think this confirms that replacements are new units as opposed to refurbished. There's been debate about that over the years.

 

[doobydoooby]

Hopp Suisse! Karma, Tim, Karma. 😆

 

[The_Gream]

If you've seen the patents themselves they aren't remotely recognizable to the Apple designs.

Okay. I hadn’t personally seen them. If that is so, how the he** did they get banned?

Still a lot of unneeded headaches.

 

[spazzcat]

It's not "nuts"

It's a megacorp playing fast and loose and stealing IP

I'm personally delighted to see them being held to account

I guess if you ignore Apple hold patents for the tech they are using in the watch. The courts need to sort out who is in the right and who is in the wrong.

 

[spazzcat]

That is NOT the only way - Apple could reach an agreement with Masimo to settle this, cross licensing or whatever.
It is now on Apple to get the patent "voided" and that can still take years ...

This is now going to hurt us consumers, so that's what apple needs to consider

I believe they can appeal the ban next week, but had to wait for the presidential dateline to pass?