Apple Gains Approval for Watch Redesign to Circumvent Ban But Sacrifices Something Else
In a strategic move to counter the US court-imposed Apple Watch ban, Apple has secured approval for a redesign that eliminates the pulse oximeter function from its smartwatches. This feature, marketed as a health-monitoring tool for customers, will be sacrificed to comply with the regulatory requirement.
According to a federal court filing on Monday, Apple’s proposal to alter the functionality of the Apple Watch received the nod from the enforcement branch of US Customs and Border Protection. The redesign aims to remove the pulse oximeter, a medical scanner that measures blood oxygen concentration. Joseph R. Re, an attorney for Masimo, the company that successfully sued Apple for patent infringement, disclosed the approval of the redesigned watches.
The court filing revealed that the government had no objection to Apple importing the Apple Watch as long as it did not include the pulse oximeter functionality. The move comes after the US International Trade Commission ruling temporarily blocked the import of certain Apple Watch models, including Series 9 and Ultra 2, due to patent violations.
Despite the ban going into effect on December 26, a federal appeals court temporarily suspended the sweeping import ban on December 27. Apple, in response to the ban, expressed disagreement and pledged to explore legal and technical options, including submitting a redesigned Series 9 and Ultra 2 for US Customs approval.
Apple’s appeal had initially claimed potential “irreparable harm” if the ban continued during the appeal process. However, with the approved workaround, the argument for irreparable harm has been challenged by Masimo’s attorney, Joseph R. Re.
The pulse oximeter functionality, previously highlighted in Apple’s marketing as a life-saving feature, will now be absent in the redesigned watches, potentially impacting the smartwatch’s reputation as a health-monitoring device. Despite this setback, Apple remains committed to resuming imports of its advanced watches, vowing to take all necessary measures to reintroduce them to US customers in the near future.
