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Changing Your Apple Watch or iPhone's Region Won't Enable ECG App Outside of United States

Elijen said:
WOW! **** you Apple!

I love how the ********s waited with releasing this information so people who bought on release day cannot return the watch.

I bet you'll need to buy a new shiny ECG enabled model if you want the feature after it's approved by your country too.
Click to expand...


This is a bunch of *********. They said during the keynote that this functionality would be US-only until other approvals roll in. Once those approvals happen, there's no reason at all to think that they won't be able to enable the functionality just exactly as they did for the US today.
 
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Elijen said:
WOW! **** you Apple!

I love how the ********s waited with releasing this information so people who bought on release day cannot return the watch.
Click to expand...
There's **** here but not where you think.
This was known since September, before release day.
Electrocardiogram Functionality in New Apple Watch Series 4 Models Limited to US, Coming Later This Year
Elijen said:
I bet you'll need to buy a new shiny ECG enabled model if you want the feature after it's approved by your country too.
Click to expand...
You should recall that bet, 'cause you'd loose.

It's OK to be outraged, but you need to have the fact first.
Otherwise you just might get clowned.
 
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It's time to grab your pitchforks and
torches to seize the means of production to stop the greed and lies. Lol. JK?!
 
Access to the feature is based ONLY on where the device was purchased. Apple maintains a serial number list on its servers.

It is exactly like when you buy an iPhone in Japan you can’t turn off the camera shutter sound or you can never use FaceTime Audio on a phone purchased in mainland China. Taking these phones to another country or changing region doesn’t magically turn on these features, they are gated by where they were purchased.

ECG is exactly the same.
 
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Elijen said:
WOW! **** you Apple!

I love how the ********s waited with releasing this information so people who bought on release day cannot return the watch.

I bet you'll need to buy a new shiny ECG enabled model if you want the feature after it's approved by your country too.
Click to expand...
Apple marketing: This is a US feature only.

Macrumors readers: OMG THEY TRICKED US!!!
 
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SHAME on you apple... This is not the apple we Percieved...

Someone said: Whatever rises, falls too...
I think the fall has begun...
 
I almost can't believe that my Canadian purchased Apple Watch won't work in USA - even if I moved to USA and got the USA App Store account etc etc.

I would be asking the Apple Geniuses if I should sell my perfectly good Apple Watch 4 and buy a replacement in the USA to solve e the problem. That would be funny if that was the only solution.

I will have to test this myself - it seems like a bit too much effort for Apple to try and block the usage like this.
 
This seriously sucks for people who live in US but have purchased the watch elsewhere. I would say, they have, in fact, been lied to. I wonder if Apple will offer a replacement watch for those edge cases.
 
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Marconelly said:
This seriously sucks for people who live in US but have purchased the watch elsewhere. I would say, they have, in fact, been lied to. I wonder if Apple will offer a replacement watch for those edge cases.
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I have to imagine there is something Apple can do to unlock the EKG for those cases. I would also venture to say that the amount of people that fall into this boat is extremely small.
 
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krishnajha said:
I'm in Guatemala and it works on my watch, i did purchase the watch on the US, regional settings are on the US too.
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what happen if you change the regional setting. Will it still work just because it's purchased in the US?
 
MacWorld78 said:
Well, yes you are right my friend, however, Apple should’ve done that way reduce the price without ECG feature!

Why should I pay more something I can’t use it?
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The hardware involved is minimal; so it wouldn't be worth it to have two separate "builds" of the Watch PC Board, just to save 20 cents on an op amp chip.
 
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So a significant increase in price and still not getting the cool new features.

Sweet.
 
benz240 said:
You guys in the EU can thank your heavy handed regulators for not having the ECG feature yet, and for it likely taking YEARS before it will even be approved.
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This is wrong. The approval regulations for medical devices in the USA are much stricter than in the EU. This is why nearly every company operating worldwide in this business segment first obtains approval in the USA. With FDA approval, approval in the EU is significantly faster. My wife works for a European medical device manufacturer.
How Apple handles the whole thing at the moment is the absolutely common way. Also the fact that the function is limited to watches purchased in the USA is absolutely logical and legaly, the only viable way. The FDA approval only gives the right to sell the approved device in the USA. Nothing more.
 
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Marconelly said:
This seriously sucks for people who live in US but have purchased the watch elsewhere. I would say, they have, in fact, been lied to. I wonder if Apple will offer a replacement watch for those edge cases.
Click to expand...

I would say that perhaps somebody on this thread in that situation asks Apple if they can help them before we start accusing anybody of lying. Then we can be self righteous in our outrage.
 
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porkrind said:
Nothing that wasn't well publicized before launch day. Anyone could have elected not to buy. Those that did got exactly what was advertised.
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1. you assume people read MacRumors, or watch keynotes before purchasing a watch
2. there are people purchasing their products in apple stores have been told some little fibs
3. doesnt change the significant increase in product cost globally, which includes the extra cost on a function that is limited to USA, and known to be limited to the USA. Crying about not wanting more SKU's is garbage in the face of Apples massively increased SKU count.
 
bbednarz said:
I have to imagine there is something Apple can do to unlock the EKG for those cases. I would also venture to say that the amount of people that fall into this boat is extremely small.
Click to expand...
They probably will not unlock these watches - if they do care about these cases they will more likely replace them. If not, people will have to wait until the watch gets approval in the country of purchase. My guess is, that in most countries these approvals will come in Q1 next year.
 
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cycomiko said:
1. you assume people read MacRumors, or watch keynotes before purchasing a watch
2. there are people purchasing their products in apple stores have been told some little fibs
3. doesnt change the significant increase in product cost globally, which includes the extra cost on a function that is limited to USA, and known to be limited to the USA. Crying about not wanting more SKU's is garbage in the face of Apples massively increased SKU count.
Click to expand...

If you don’t know what you’re buying, you’re more doomed than Apple. BtW, I have a bridge to sell you ...
 
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