Top Stories: Apple Watch Sales Ban, Next-Generation CarPlay Preview, and More

[MacRumors]

2023 is rapidly drawing to a close with the holiday season, but that certainly doesn't mean there hasn't been any major Apple news over the past week.

The week's biggest news was Apple's move to halt sales of its flagship Apple Watch models over a patent dispute, while Apple also squeaked in under the wire to tease the first implementation of next-generation CarPlay from a couple of car manufacturers before the end of the year. Other news and rumors this week involved an iOS 17.2.1 bug fix update, rumors about the iPhone 16 and "Apple Watch X," and more, so read on below for all the details!

Apple Pauses Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in U.S. Due to Patent Dispute

Following an announcement earlier this week, Apple has "paused" online sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. due to an ongoing patent dispute with medical tech company Masimo, which has accused Apple of copying its blood oxygen sensing functionality. Sales in Apple's U.S. retail stores will cease after December 24, and Apple will be unable to perform out-of-warranty hardware repairs on many recent Apple Watch models.

In October, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered a ban on some Apple Watch imports into the U.S. after finding that Apple violated Masimo's patents related to non-invasive blood oxygen sensing. U.S. President Joe Biden has until December 25 to review the order, but presidential vetoes of ITC import bans have historically been rare.

Apple is reportedly working on software changes to address the alleged patent infringement, but Masimo believes that the Apple Watch's hardware design will have to change to become compliant.

Apple Releases iOS 17.2.1 Update for iPhone

Apple this week released a minor iOS 17.2.1 update for the iPhone with "important bug fixes."

Unlike in the U.S., the release notes for iOS 17.2.1 in China and Japan indicate that the update also "addresses an issue that can cause the battery to drain faster under certain conditions."

iOS 17.3 remains in beta, and has two significant new features so far, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.

First Vehicles With Next-Generation Apple CarPlay Previewed

Aston Martin and Porsche this week previewed the first vehicle dashboards with support for Apple's next-generation CarPlay experience, which is expected to be available at some point in 2024.

Next-generation CarPlay features integration with the instrument cluster and climate controls, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, a dedicated FM radio app, widgets for apps, and more. The interface can be tailored to each specific vehicle model and automaker's brand identity.

Gurman: iPhone 16's Capture Button Will Be for Taking Video

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week confirmed that iPhone 16 models will be equipped with a new dedicated button for recording video.

MacRumors was first to report that iPhone 16 models would feature a so-called "Capture Button," which is expected to be positioned below the power button on the right side of the iPhones. This will require the mmWave 5G antenna window to be relocated on U.S. models.

Beeper Mini Says Jailbroken iPhone Solution is Final Effort

Beeper promises that its cat-and-mouse game with Apple over iMessage is ending.

Beeper announced that its plan to let Android users use a jailbroken iPhone to register a phone number with iMessage will be its final attempt at maintaining its Beeper Mini service, which is designed to let Android users use iMessage without using an iPhone as their primary smartphone. Apple has made efforts to prevent the service from working.

Your Apple Watch Bands May Not Work With Next Year's Model

Next-generation Apple Watch models will feature a completely redesigned band connector, rendering them incompatible with all current bands, according to an Apple leaker known as "Kosutami."

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that the upcoming "Apple Watch X" could feature a different way to attach bands to the device. Apple has allegedly considered a magnetic band attachment system.

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Article Link: Top Stories: Apple Watch Sales Ban, Next-Generation CarPlay Preview, and More

 

[Kottu]

I don't like patent trolls but a 3 trillion dollar company shouldn't skip paying for patents.

 

[4743913]

brb, putting my apple watch on ebay for mad $$$

 

[toobravetosave]

I don't like patent trolls but a 3 trillion dollar company shouldn't skip paying for patents.

Masimo is not a patent troll they are a major health technologies company lmao

 

[msackey]

In learnt something new this weekend when I was trying to figure out why the US banned watches are available in Canada and elsewhere.

I mistakenly thought the ITC was an international institution. It’s actually a US agency, so its determinations only have power within them US. I was fooled by their name “international”. Lol. 😆

 

[anthogag]

"Apple Watch Sales Banned"...because the Ultra 1 to Ultra 2 update was too minor. 😄

 

[Realityck]

iOS 17.3 remains in beta, and has two significant new features so far, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.

The stolen device protection is likely been testing internally for some time. just happened to be included in the iOS 17.3 beta. The collaborative Apple Music playlist was pegged for iOS 17.2 but got delayed to iOS 17.3. So both of those features are the only changes to whats been mostly a short lived bug fix beta cycle of IOS 17.3.

Likely to see the 2nd beta on the Jan 9th (after 3 weeks), RC on Jan 16th, and public Monday the Jan 22nd if it is similar to last 2 years.

 

[kc2kth]

Masimo is not a patent troll they are a major health technologies company lmao

I upvoted that comment because I don't like patent trolls, although I don't think Masimo qualifies as such, and I don't think Apple should be dodging this, potentially harming their customers in the process.

 

[Kottu]

Masimo is not a patent troll they are a major health technologies company lmao

I know that they are not. I said Trolls in general like Round Rock. Apple shouldn't have made any short cuts. This will result in losses for Apple and to make it up, they gonna make us pay.

 

[Lancer]

I'm in Australia, is it worth buying the series 9 or waiting for the next one, I have a 3yo SE.

 

[MrkJensen]

It will be interesting to follow, this could be an expensive one for Apple. -A real very Christmas gift for the layers.

 

[ImAlwaysRight]

I heard of this ban in the news the other day. That same night I had a deal from Best Buy for $100 off the Series 9 Apple Watch 45mm. I almost bought one to try to scalp when these become scarce, but then I thought it wasn't worth the trouble to try and make $50-100 net after taxes and auction fees.

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Masimo is not a patent troll they are a major health technologies company lmao

No, they are not a troll. They are medical and want major f*cktons of licensing fees because they are medical. We’re not taking $1, $5, or $10 per device, but likely 5-10x that. This is why Apple hasn’t settled.

I sooner expect Apple to drop the feature before settling. A software delete may not satisfy Masimo either, since the claim appears to be the hardware infringing in addition To the software and the feature itself.

It’s there’s still a day left before the Apple store sale ban. Last shopping day of the year!

 

[Peepo]

They could make it somehow so you have to license/activate the patentable features through Masimo and then Apple take a 30% cut of it LOL. This sets a bad precedent though - just an idea I had.

 

[RalfTheDog]

If the iPhone will have a dedicated "Start recording video" button, I hope there is a way to disable it. Having such a button would make the phone impossible to own for some of us. Can you imagine having a confidential conversation, when the record button was accidentally pressed in your pocket? Customs can and sometimes does inspect your electronic devises before an international flight. It's not like everyone has the right to turn off their phones, anytime they want. Some of us are on call 24/7 365.

 

[theskog]

2023 is rapidly drawing to a close with the holiday season, but that certainly doesn't mean there hasn't been any major Apple news over the past week.

The week's biggest news was Apple's move to halt sales of its flagship Apple Watch models over a patent dispute, while Apple also squeaked in under the wire to tease the first implementation of next-generation CarPlay from a couple of car manufacturers before the end of the year. Other news and rumors this week involved an iOS 17.2.1 bug fix update, rumors about the iPhone 16 and "Apple Watch X," and more, so read on below for all the details!

Apple Pauses Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in U.S. Due to Patent Dispute

Following an announcement earlier this week, Apple has "paused" online sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. due to an ongoing patent dispute with medical tech company Masimo, which has accused Apple of copying its blood oxygen sensing functionality. Sales in Apple's U.S. retail stores will cease after December 24, and Apple will be unable to perform out-of-warranty hardware repairs on many recent Apple Watch models.

In October, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered a ban on some Apple Watch imports into the U.S. after finding that Apple violated Masimo's patents related to non-invasive blood oxygen sensing. U.S. President Joe Biden has until December 25 to review the order, but presidential vetoes of ITC import bans have historically been rare.

Apple is reportedly working on software changes to address the alleged patent infringement, but Masimo believes that the Apple Watch's hardware design will have to change to become compliant.

Apple Releases iOS 17.2.1 Update for iPhone

Apple this week released a minor iOS 17.2.1 update for the iPhone with "important bug fixes."

Unlike in the U.S., the release notes for iOS 17.2.1 in China and Japan indicate that the update also "addresses an issue that can cause the battery to drain faster under certain conditions."

iOS 17.3 remains in beta, and has two significant new features so far, including Stolen Device Protection and collaborative Apple Music playlists.

First Vehicles With Next-Generation Apple CarPlay Previewed

Aston Martin and Porsche this week previewed the first vehicle dashboards with support for Apple's next-generation CarPlay experience, which is expected to be available at some point in 2024.

Next-generation CarPlay features integration with the instrument cluster and climate controls, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, a dedicated FM radio app, widgets for apps, and more. The interface can be tailored to each specific vehicle model and automaker's brand identity.

Gurman: iPhone 16's Capture Button Will Be for Taking Video

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week confirmed that iPhone 16 models will be equipped with a new dedicated button for recording video.

MacRumors was first to report that iPhone 16 models would feature a so-called "Capture Button," which is expected to be positioned below the power button on the right side of the iPhones. This will require the mmWave 5G antenna window to be relocated on U.S. models.

Beeper Mini Says Jailbroken iPhone Solution is Final Effort

Beeper promises that its cat-and-mouse game with Apple over iMessage is ending.

Beeper announced that its plan to let Android users use a jailbroken iPhone to register a phone number with iMessage will be its final attempt at maintaining its Beeper Mini service, which is designed to let Android users use iMessage without using an iPhone as their primary smartphone. Apple has made efforts to prevent the service from working.

Your Apple Watch Bands May Not Work With Next Year's Model

Next-generation Apple Watch models will feature a completely redesigned band connector, rendering them incompatible with all current bands, according to an Apple leaker known as "Kosutami."

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that the upcoming "Apple Watch X" could feature a different way to attach bands to the device. Apple has allegedly considered a magnetic band attachment system.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to... Click here to read rest of article

Article Link: Top Stories: Apple Watch Sales Ban, Next-Generation CarPlay Preview, and More

Seeing that this is related to ITC….I wonder: if Apple decided to have the Apple Watches made in the US, would there still be a ban since it wouldn’t involve the ITC?

 

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Seeing that this is related to ITC….I wonder: if Apple decided to have the Apple Watches made in the US, would there still be a ban since it wouldn’t involve the ITC?

Masimo CEO answers this question.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I think iOS 17.3 beta with Stolen Device Protection coming soon, is the big story. The rest is flash in a pan.