Apple Watch Series 9

Of 154 user comments, the top 25 surfaced come almost entirely from HackerNews and Lemmy threads about the December 2023 US import ban — not day-to-day product use. Core facts users establish: the ITC ruled Apple infringed Masimo patents covering blood-oxygen (pulse oximetry) technology and ordered an import ban; the Biden administration/USTR declined to veto it ('decided not to reverse the ITC's determination' after 'careful consideration'); Apple halted US sales of Series 9 and Ultra 2 at its own stores while Best Buy/Target could sell remaining stock 'while supplies last' since they'd already bought inventory at wholesale; the Watch SE stayed on sale because it lacks the blood-oxygen sensor. Commenters quote the patent claim language (multiple LED emitters, four photodiodes, a convex protrusion with opaque-lined openings) and argue the underlying optical measurement is obvious — it 'appears all over the place, like in cheap pulseoximeters.' Sentiment toward Apple is largely negative/schadenfreude: Lemmy users enjoy Apple getting 'a taste of their own poison' after its own import-ban requests against others, and HN users cite Apple vs HTC (2010, 20 patent claims, all but one rejected) and Apple vs Psystar as evidence of hypocrisy ('hyper protective over copycats ripping them off'). Several users argue Apple should simply settle with Masimo and redesign the oxygen sensor module for the US market rather than expect special treatment. A notable minority of top comments are pure thread drift unrelated to the watch (Einstein/tensor calculus history, stock bid/ask mechanics, general patent-system philosophy). Net signal: almost nothing here rates the watch's performance, battery, or features — the user layer speaks to legal/supply risk and brand conduct. One implicit product datapoint: the blood-oxygen sensor is significant enough to be litigated, and it's the feature absent from the cheaper SE.

No aggregate ratings were found for this product during the last harvest.