- Apple won a lawsuit over heart rate apps for the Apple Watch, while facing another lawsuit about the blood oxygen sensor.
- Masimo’s lawsuit led to temporary bans on some Apple Watch models.
- Apple Watch functionality remains unaffected, but concerns persist about competition fairness.
In recent months, Apple has been dealing with a bunch of lawsuits about its Apple Watch. But this week, they got a win. A federal judge said Apple didn’t do anything wrong and threw out a lawsuit that said Apple was the only one allowed to make heart rate apps for the Apple Watch.
The lawsuit was from a company called AliveCor. They said Apple was being mean to other companies and only letting themselves make apps for the Apple Watch that check your heart rate. But the judge said nope, Apple didn’t do anything wrong. We don’t know why the judge said that yet, but we’ll find out later.
This is not the same lawsuit as the one from Masimo, another company. They said Apple was using their ideas for the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor without asking. The court said Apple couldn’t sell some of their watches because of this. Apple tried to fight it, but the court said no, you can’t sell those watches.
So, Apple had to stop selling them or change them. But if you still want one, you can get it from other stores that still have them.
What Happened with Apple and AliveCor?
AliveCor, the company that makes medical stuff, is not happy about losing the lawsuit. They said they will try again and appeal the judge’s decision. They also have another lawsuit against Apple about a different thing.
Back in 2015, they showed Apple their heart rate sensor, thinking they might work together. But then, in 2018, Apple made their own version. AliveCor said that was their idea, but the court didn’t stop Apple from selling their watches.
What’s Next for Apple Watch Owners?
Even though Apple won the lawsuit, some people are not happy about it. They think it’s not fair to smaller companies who want to make things for the Apple Watch. But if you have an Apple Watch, don’t worry, it won’t change.
Even with the other lawsuit, the one with Masimo, Apple had to make some changes, but your watch will still work fine. If you don’t care about the blood oxygen thing, you can still get the cheaper version of the Apple Watch, the Watch SE, because it never had that feature anyway.
So, if you’re thinking of getting an Apple Watch, you’re good to go! We’ll keep you updated on any new developments about Apple and their lawsuits.
