By Apple is making preparations to eliminate the blood-oxygen sensor from certain models of its smartwatches in order to avoid an import ban resulting from a patent dispute. Despite this move, the tech giant continues to fight the legal battle.
According to a legal filing cited by The Wall Street Journal, Apple has outlined plans for technical modifications to its watches, which include the removal of the blood-oxygen sensor.
The potential changes aim to resolve the patent disagreement between Apple and medical-technology firm Masimo, as well as its sister company Ceracor Laboratories, regarding the sensors used to measure blood-oxygen levels. This dispute temporarily halted the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 due to an import ban.
However, Apple has not conceded defeat in this dispute. The company has informed the WSJ that the blood-oxygen feature will remain available on the watches while it awaits the decision on its request for a permanent stay on the import ban.
In the event that the stay is granted, Apple will not need to remove the blood-oxygen feature during the appeals process, which could potentially last for a year or more.
Removing the blood-oxygen feature is unlikely to have a significant impact on Apple’s stock. The Apple Watch accounted for approximately 5% of its fiscal 2023 sales.
Comments