Apple Watch Upgrade A Downgrade? Top Analyst Says Many Missed This Crucial Information During 'Glowtime' Event

On Monday, Apple Inc. AAPL unveiled its Apple Watch Series 10, iPhone 16 series, and more at the “Glowtime” event. A top analyst has now highlighted a significant omission in the new Apple Watch.

What Happened: Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman took to X, formerly Twitter, and pointed out that users of Apple Watch Series 6 or newer will lose a vital health feature if they upgrade to the new Apple Watch.

The Blood Oxygen monitoring will remain absent from new watches until Apple either finds a solution or reaches an agreement with Masimo Corporation, a medical technology firm.

Last year, the U.S. International Trade Commission or ITC ruled that certain Apple Watch models had infringed on Masimo’s patented pulse oximetry technology.

As a result, the ITC prohibited the import and sale of Apple Watches from Series 6 to Series 9 and the Ultra 2 in the U.S.

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This has gone under the radar, but if you have an Apple Watch Series 6 or newer with Blood Oxygen monitoring and you buy a new Apple Watch, you're going to lose that very key feature a lot of people rely on until Apple figures out a workaround or settles with Masimo.

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 9, 2024

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Separately, Gurman also shared his thoughts on the Apple Watch Series 10 screen size and battery life, comparing it with the Apple Watch Ultra.

He initially favored the Series 10 but later changed his mind, citing the Ultra 2’s double battery life and action button as significant benefits.

If you include cellular and titanium, the Ultra is $50 more than the bigger Series 10, not the $400 it would seem on paper. Is $50 more worth it? For double battery I think most would say yes. S10 and S9 chips are basically the same. Screen sizes are also basically the same. https://t.co/36N0RWSq6e

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 9, 2024

Why It Matters: Apart from the Apple Watch Series 10, Cupertino also introduced a new color for its Ultra Watch. The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 is built for high durability and performance, equipped with a tough titanium case and a scratch-resistant sapphire front crystal.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is priced at $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the GPS and Cellular model. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is priced at $799 and both models are available for preorder today, with a release date set for Sept. 20.

During the event, the tech giant also launched the iPhone 16 series at a starting price of $799. Pre-orders for the iPhone 16 start this Friday, and all four models will be available for purchase on Sept. 20.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.