Apple, as you may know by now, is at the heart of a health technology patents dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company—full details here. It centers on the blood oxygen monitoring capability found in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches. Along with these being removed from sale, more details have now emerged—and they’re not good news.
Apple Watch Ultra 2, left, and Apple Watch Series 9.
As promised, Apple removed Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from sale on its website. Instore sales continue until end of business Sunday, December 24. And you can also buy these models from other retailers, such as Amazon, Best Buy and Target, while stocks last.
The Apple Watch SE does not have blood oxygen measuring capabilities so is still on sale. Apple Watch Nike and Apple Watch Hermes are marked as currently unavailable on apple.com. The ban is limited to the U.S., so sales outside the States continue as normal.
But the new details are subtle and, frankly, annoying.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, “Apple’s customer service teams were informed in a memo that the company will no longer replace out-of-warranty models going back to Apple Watch Series 6. That means if a customer has a broken screen, for instance, they won’t be able to get the issue fixed by Apple. The company will still offer help that can be done via software, such as reinstalling the operating system.”
This is a nasty sting in the tail. Since some hardware issues routinely led to replacements rather than repairs, affected customers will now be told that, “they will be contacted when hardware replacements are allowed again,” Gurman says.
Until now, it had seemed that anyone who owned a Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, or Ultra would be blithely unaffected by the ban. Now, only those whose Watches are still under warranty, can rest easy. That means Series 8 and Ultra purchases made within the last 12 months, plus all Series 9 and Ultra 2 models, as these first went on sale on September 22 this year. If your Watch is still under warranty, the replacement ban “aren’t affected by the replacement prohibition,” according to Bloomberg.
But there are still concerns, even if you’re buying the Watch instore today, for instance. Supposing you’re gifting the Watch to someone and they would rather have a different color. Bad luck, it seems. Gurman explains, “After Dec. 25, Apple also won’t be able to exchange a watch purchased before the ban, say for a different color or size, during the typical return period. Retail staff was told a product swap won’t be allowed, but Apple will replace accessories like bands. Watches can still be returned for a refund.”
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 are stunningly good products, way ahead of the smartwatch competition. But right now, these restrictions make them tricky to recommend, at least in the U.S.
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