The Apple Watch had a rough start to the new year because of a disagreement with a medical tech company called Masimo. This disagreement made Apple turn off the blood oxygen sensor in all Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 watches they sell. It’s a bit surprising because Apple is a big and powerful company.
But, don’t let that stop you from buying an Apple Watch. That’s what CEO Tim Cook says anyway. In an interview with CNBC, Cook said people should still buy Apple Watches even without the blood oxygen sensor. He thinks there are many other good reasons to buy one.
To be fair, Cook is kind of right. The Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches out there and has been for a long time. Even though the blood oxygen sensor is turned off now, the watch still has many great features.
It’s a bit strange for the head of a big company like Apple to have to tell people why they should buy one of its most popular products. Maybe Apple is feeling pressure from its disagreement with Masimo, and we can understand why.
Cook also said more about the disagreement. When asked if Apple would settle with Masimo and use its technology, Cook said they’re focused on appeal. This means the disagreement might last for a long time, maybe months or more. So, it might be a while before the blood oxygen monitor comes back to Apple Watches.
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This might make some people less interested in buying an Apple Watch. If you really wanted one for the blood oxygen sensor, it’s harder to find now.
But don’t worry, you can still get an Apple Watch with the sensor from other places. Apple can’t sell them with the sensor, but other shops like Amazon and Best Buy still can. So, if you really want that feature, you can get it from those places instead.
