Skip to main content

Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 Lose Blood Oxygen Feature to Dodge US Ban

Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will no longer offer the company's blood oxygen feature on both models in the US, according to the company. In order to dodge a looming US ban on its latest smartwatches, Apple has disabled the pulse oximetry feature on its smartwatches, which infringe on patents held by medical technology firm Masimo. As a result, customers who purchase these two models in the US will not be able to measure their blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels.

Masimo CEO Joe Kiani told Bloomberg that Apple had not reached out to the medical technology firm to discuss a settlement amid the ongoing legal dispute between both firms. Apple has appealed a ruling of the International Trade Commission (ITC) in October that said the company infringed on Masimo's patents related to pulse oximetry, a feature that was first introduced with the Apple Watch Series 6.

Earlier this week, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Apple could not sell both models with the blood oxygen feature, while refusing to pause the import ban during the appeal period. As anticipated, Apple has disabled the blood oxygen sensor on its Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 that are sold in the US, to dodge the ban.

This means that both smartwatches in the US will still ship with a blood oxygen sensor, but its functionality will be disabled. The feature will also be disabled via the Watch app. Meanwhile, Apple has also updated its product pages for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US with a banner that informs customers the blood oxygen feature isn't available on those models, while it has also disappeared from the company's feature comparison charts for different models.

It is important to note that the restrictions on the blood oxygen feature only applies to customers in the US, which means that the feature will work on the same models sold in other countries, including India. If Apple and Masimo resolve the patent dispute in the future, the iPhone make should be able to activate the functionality once more, as the company has merely deactivated the hardware on these models.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.


from Gadgets 360 https://ift.tt/AZCst7m

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Xiaomi Offers Free Xiaomi 12 Pro Upgrade to Mi 11 Ultra Users Facing Wi-Fi Issues

Xiaomi is offering a free upgrade to a Xiaomi 12 Pro for Mi 11 Ultra users who are facing Wi-Fi issues. These users also have the option to further upgrade to the company's latest Xiaomi 13 Pro by paying an extra fee of Rs. 30,000. Just recently, the company extended the warranty of the Mi 11 Ultra alongside other smartphones by two years, after users complained of camera and motherboard issues. The current offer — including the free upgrade and the paid one, is extended to the Mi 11 Ultra users who are having trouble with Wi-Fi on their handsets. The Xiaomi India President Muralikrishnan B announced the offers in a video message via Twitter. He added that the  Mi 11 Ultra users who had previously paid and upgraded their handsets to the Xiaomi 12 Pro will be offered a full refund. They will need to contact the company online or through the nearest Xiaomi service centre. Notably, this refund is only applicable to users who upgraded their handsets due to Wi-Fi issues....
Post a Comment
Read more

Softbank CEO Says He is Heavy User of ChatGPT Speaks to OpenAIs Sam Altman Often

SoftBank Group 's Chief Executive Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday he is a "heavy user" of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot from Microsoft -backed startup OpenAI. Son said he is speaking "almost everyday" to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman , who has made high-profile visits to Tokyo this year as he looks to capitalise on interest in generative AI and exert influence on the regulation of the burgeoning technology around the world. "I am chatting with ChatGPT everyday - I am a heavy user," Son told shareholders of the group's telecoms subsidiary. Son has stepped back from public pronouncements in recent months to focus on the planned listing of chip designer Arm as his technology investment conglomerate books heavy loss due to the sliding value of its portfolio. The group holds its annual general meeting on Wednesday with the market looking for details of Son's investment outlook at a time when excitement over AI is driving capital...
Post a Comment
Read more