After the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit rejected Apple’s request to extend the provisional suspension of the ban on the sale of its latest smartwatches, the official decision from the Cupertino giant has arrived. Not wanting to permanently withdraw from the trade Apple Watch Series 9 e Ultra 2the Californian company was forced to weaken the two wearables. Or, as video game enthusiasts would say, a “nerf them”.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 back on sale in the USA, but…
Today, January 18, 2024, Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are officially back on the (US) market in a stable manner. However, as already anticipated by a recent leak, the two smartwatches they come with one less feature.
Based on the verdict issued by the ITC, with the two smartwatches launched in the second half of 2023, the tech giant violated a technology patented by Masimo concerning the measurement of oxygen in the blood. After having gained some time between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2024, Apple was forced to take action: Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 go back on sale, but without the offending feature.
«We strongly disagree with the USITC’s decision and subsequent actions. Pending the appeal, Apple is taking steps to comply with the ruling […] and now introduces a version of Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States without the blood oxygen function», said a company spokesperson.
Given the latest not particularly exciting news, Apple wanted to reassure all those who purchased the two smartwatches in the previous months. For those already sold there will be no consequences: «There is no impact on previously purchased units that include the Blood Oxygen feature», we read in the note.
His “new” wearables theO₂ Levels app it is still installed by default but, as is obvious, it is no longer usable. When opened, the following warning is shown: «The O₂ Levels app is no longer available. Find more details in the Health app on your iPhone».