Apple vs. Masimo: Battle of the Smartwatches

In the ongoing battle between technology giants Apple and Masimo, the fight for dominance in the smartwatch market has reached a fever pitch. Apple, known for its popular Apple Watch models, has been eagerly defending its territory against Masimo’s upcoming Freedom watch, which boasts innovative blood-oxygen measurement technology.

While Apple has been dealing with the repercussions of an import ban on its Apple Watch models, the company has also been strategically working to undermine Masimo’s market presence. Apple’s attempts to pause the lawsuit and prevent Masimo’s Freedom watch from gaining traction reveal the tech giant’s apprehension about facing a true competitor. Masimo, on the other hand, views the Freedom as a more elegant smartwatch that directly targets Apple’s customer base.

The Freedom watch, equipped with a medical-grade pulse oximeter, offers similar features to the Apple Watch such as cell phone connectivity, messaging, music, and a hardware privacy switch. Masimo’s CEO, Joe Kiani, has expressed confidence in the Freedom’s potential, aiming for a limited-market release this quarter and a full-market release in the first half of 2024.

The legal actions between Apple and Masimo have little to do with the wearables market at large, according to Angela McIntyre, executive director of Stanford University’s Wearable Electronics Initiative. However, Apple’s relentless defense of its health-related features demonstrates the company’s commitment to maintaining its supremacy in the rapidly evolving health-tech market.

This fierce battle of patents and market dominance has led to multiple legal disputes between the two companies. Masimo has challenged the validity of some of Apple’s utility patents, while Apple has brought patent infringement suits against Masimo. Both parties continue to fight their respective cases in different courts, including the US International Trade Commission and the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board.

As Masimo and Apple continue to clash, it is clear that both companies are willing to go to great lengths to protect their market territory and innovation. Only time will tell which smartwatch will prevail in this high-stakes showdown.

The source of the article is from the blog guambia.com.uy