Discussion

• @reckless1280 Nilay Patel on threads

  No shade to Chance or 9to5 which are both great but it is pretty intensely irresponsible for Apple to not have a full press release on this extremely material market moving news - an unnamed spox giving a background statement saying the Apple Watch won't be on sale anymore to one…

• @panzer @panzer on threads

  also pretty dope holiday sales campaign

• @mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on threads

  Feels humorously and strategically timed around holiday shopping.  BUT what about the millions of people getting Apple gift cards in their stockings?!  No (new) Apple Watch for you.  ⌚️🎁😮

• @panzer @panzer on threads

  Gonna go ahead and posit that Masimo did not consider this a real possibility

• @viticci@macstories.net @viticci@macstories.net on mastodon

  This whole saga is wild - Apple has announced it's pausing sales of the Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US: https://www.macstories.net/... The Biden administration may or may not veto this, but I guess if you want a new Apple Watch for Christmas...buy one now?

• @johnvoorhees@mastodon.macstories.net @johnvoorhees@mastodon.macstories.net on mastodon

  Not the story I expected to be writing this morning, but Apple has said it is pausing sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 starting later this week, due to an US ITC ruling that may or may not be vetoed by the Biden administration on Christmas Eve.  @ChanceHMiller @9to5M…

• @stephenrobles@mastodon.social Stephen Robles on mastodon

  WOAH - Apple has to stop selling Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 this week due to a patent dispute over the Sp02 sensor 😳  —  https://www.theverge.com/...

• @neilcybart Neil Cybart on x

  Pretty smart move here by Apple.  As they await word on the outcome of the presidential review to a potential Apple Watch ban, the company is basically making sure everyone who wants to buy an Apple Watch before the holidays can do so.  Apple's statement below: [image]

• @zollotech Aaron Zollo on x

  Well that's no good. I guess if you wanted an Apple Watch, you better hurry up and get one now until this gets resolved.

• @nimazeighami Nima Zeighami on x

  I think it's good that patents are being respected and hold serious weight, but it's crazy to me that Masimo isn't required to offer a reasonable license fee for their patents. I think inventors deserve compensation for inventions, but blocking progress is bad for everyone.

• @rjonesy Ryan Jones on x

  I have to give them credit, this news coming from an Apple site is less dramatic than from Bloomberg or Press Release. Always playing chess.

• @basicappleguy Basic Apple Guy on x

  How to suddenly became the hottest item this holiday season. ⌚️ [image]

• @jonyiveparody @jonyiveparody on x

  @BasicAppleGuy The greatest watch that the ITC has ever banned!

• @reuterstech @reuterstech on x

  Apple to halt US sales of Series 9, Ultra 2 smartwatches over patent dispute https://www.reuters.com/... [image]

• @lukemiani Luke Miani on x

  This is crazy 😫

• @caro_milanesi Carolina Milanesi on x

  It will be interesting to see if they feel the same way if they lose the two patent infringement cases Apple filed against them in 2022

• @matt_pulsipher Matthew Pulsipher on x

  @9to5mac @ChanceHMiller While I understand that Masimo actually makes products, the relative inaccessibility of those products for consumers compared to the Apple Watch makes this come off as exceedingly patent troll-like.

• @gartenberg Michael Gartenberg on x

  There has to be more to this story. It makes no sense for Apple to halt sales before the 25th. I would think they would want to sell as many as possible. Apple shuts down between the 25th and the 1st so there'd be no corporate response before the 1st https://sixcolors.com/...

• @ktgk_sdvx @ktgk_sdvx on x

  @9to5mac @ChanceHMiller Thank you Masimo for being the kind of company that actively tries to stop the progress of humanity and make healthcare less accessible!

• @repkenbuck Rep. Ken Buck on x

  Good news. No company, not even Apple, is above the law. U.S. patent laws are clear: you can't just steal intellectual property from other companies. https://www.wsj.com/...

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  Estimating the total financial impact of the Apple Watch ban, as some are doing, is impossible. If someone says they know how long the ban will last, they're making it up.

• @meghanncuniff Meghann Cuniff on x

  Masimo's case didn't enthrall the jurors, who at the end of trial were clearly over being forced to endure what was essentially a month-long engineering class mixed with attorney objections and a peek inside the upper echelons of Apple's corporate fortress.  They split in Apple's…

• @caro_milanesi Carolina Milanesi on x

  This allows Apple to get ready to comply but also shift any inventory to retailers which will still be able to sell but not receive new stock once Apple cannot longer import

• @pitdesi Sheel Mohnot on x

  Apple is a real bully.  Apple + Maximo met for partnership/acquisition talks but Apple had a secret plan (Project Everest) to steal the tech without paying.  They even recruited 20 of Masimo's team, doubling their salaries.... Apple paid their CTO $4M to come over, and in his 1st…

• @ashleygjovik Ashley M. Gjøvik on x

  This is the most generous way possible to say: “Apple finally acknowledges it will stop violating federal laws (for this issue) due to court orders to stop violating federal laws, but will lobby the sh*t out of US gov to be able to keep engaging in unlawful conduct for profit.”

• @erinbrodwin Erin Brodwin on x

  “In court, Masimo detailed how Apple poached its top executives and more than a dozen other employees before later releasing a watch with pulse oximeter capabilities that were patented by Masimo.” https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  The Obama Admin in 2013 stepped in to prevent an iPhone and iPad ban at the hand of a patent dispute loss to Samsung. The gigantic difference that Biden Admin might be weighing: Apple is up against another American company here, rather than against a Korean conglomerate.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  The ITC ruled on the sales halt in October. So the fact that this is happening is not a surprise. The shock is that the Biden Admin has not stepped in to intervene and that it is on the verge of *actually* happening.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  While their departures are clearly unrelated, it's worth noting that Apple's star witness in the Masimo trial (Steve Hotelling) and its head of Apple Watch product design are both leaving. They'd probably be involved in fixing this issue.

• @snazzylabs @snazzylabs on x

  Absolutely wild. (a) Can't believe it has come to complying—usually Apple can nip stuff like this in the bud before action is ever required, (b) the patent system is broken, (c) it's sad the literal POTUS is the last stop-gap and may have to deal such a trivial issue.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  Apple Stores in the US have received new display signage for the Apple Watch: instead of showing the Ultra 2 and Series 9 like they do today, it's just plain and says “Apple Watch” on it. Unless Biden administration steps in in next few days, the sales pause is happening.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  In an unprecedented development, Apple will halt Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 sales in the US after an ITC ruling about Apple violating Masimo blood oxygen patents was not reversed. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @tomwarren Tom Warren on x

  Apple is halting sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 this week. It's due to a patent battle with medical device maker Masimo over the SpO2 sensor https://www.theverge.com/...

• @joannastern Joanna Stern on x

  Well, this is a new way to get people to buy Apple Watches before the holiday!

• @mgsiegler M.G. Siegler on x

  Feels humorously and strategically timed around holiday shopping. BUT what about the millions of people getting Apple gift cards in their stockings?! No (new) Apple Watch for you. ⌚️🎁😮

• @aaronp613 Aaron on x

  So much news this morning relating to government regulations of “Big Tech” 1. Apple stopping sales of the Apple Watch S9 and Ultra 2 in the US 2. Adobe not acquiring Figma 3. US Senators calling on the Justice Department to investigate Apple over Beeper Mini 4. X being...

• @benlovejoy @benlovejoy on x

  National Association of eBay Scalpers forecasts record sales ...

• @bzamayo Benjamin Mayo on x

  if you wanted an Apple Watch for Christmas buy it fast, Series 9 banned from sale over patent dispute https://9to5mac.com/...

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  Masimo response: “The decision to ban certain models of the Apple Watch demonstrates that even the world's most powerful company must abide by the law. The ITC undertook a thorough legal process and its expert judgment in this matter should be respected...”

• @munster_gene Gene Munster on x

  I estimate Watch accounts for 5% of overall sales, and 2/3 of that comes from the most recent Series and Ultra. US is about 35% of Watch sales.

• @munster_gene Gene Munster on x

  Eventually I believe Apple will work this out, pay a little more for the patent rights and resume sales with the oxygen feature in the next couple of months.

• @idevicehelpus @idevicehelpus on x

  Could we see WatchOS 10.2.1 later this week do to the impending Apple Watch ban in the US ? 👇🏼

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  NEW: The latest on the impending Apple Watch ban in the US. Apple is working on a software fix, I'm told, that it believes will mitigate the issue. Masimo believes a hardware fix will be required. It's up to the US Customs agency to decide. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @munster_gene Gene Munster on x

  I believe if this stoppage hods for a year it would result in a negative 0.8% impact to sales.

• @markgurman Mark Gurman on x

  The big question: how many lost sales during the ban can Apple recover via third party resellers without being able to advertise such availability? And does that even matter given the channel is already filled with tens of thousands of units?

• @munster_gene Gene Munster on x

  Health is central to Apple's product roadmap map, so it makes sense they will work this out.