Technology @lemmy.world AnActOfCreation @programming.dev 9 mo. ago

Masimo — the company that got the Apple Watch banned — has unveiled its new smartwatch

www.tomsguide.com Masimo — the company that got the Apple Watch banned — has unveiled its new smartwatch

The Masimo Freedom has all the tech Apple can't use

Masimo, the company that sued Apple over patent infringement, has unveiled its own blood oxygen monitoring smartwatch called the Masimo Freedom.
The Masimo Freedom is a health-focused device that can track blood oxygen levels, hydration index, respiration rate, pulse rate variability, pulse rate, steps, and detect falls.
The smartwatch is currently in prototype stage and will be available for sale later this year at a price of $999.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/aOUXX

149

149 comments

In the name of every medical professional out there:

Fuck Masimo. You piece of shit garbage company.

Masimo does strategically patent troll other companies to keep their monopoly on oxygen saturation technology, deliver a subpar product that is very likely designed with planned obsolescence (which actively endangers patients). It's an absolute shit show.
Charging $999 for a watch is the next idea Apple will steal from them.
I feel like they’d have made more money by licensing their patent to Apple rather than trying to sell a watch for a ridiculous $999 price tag. I’m not saying they were wrong for their patent lawsuit, and it’s nice to see that small companies can still win, but I just don’t see this early product getting enough sales for them to profit.
Not a fan of Apple but the number of people who would benefit from being able to monitor blood oxygenation is more meaningful to me than Masimo's ability to sell thousand dollar smartwatches with its patent technology. Would be great if somehow this patent was bought out and made public domain so people outside the upper middle class could have an affordable way to track their vitals.
$999
I have no use for a HR smart watch but at this price it's not even a possibility. Hundreds of dollars is acceptable but this is a hard no for me. My Casio G-Shock GBD 200 + GadgetBridge has all the features I want from a smart watch and costs about $150.
However, I will say kudos to Masimo for sticking it to Apple. Not many people can go against a giant like that and win.
For 999usd, they can get fucked

A Fitbit costing less than 200 can do most of these things. Granted you need a Google account, but at least you don't need a fucking loan to get one.
When you're defending patents you have to demonstrate you're developing your own products or licensing them and so you can sue for damages. At this price point this "prototype" is just a loophole so they can extort Apple.
Pebble - $99

Pebble Steel - $149

Now Pebble is gone and Masimo is selling a $999 smartwatch.

Apple's cheapest watch is $249.

All I want is a watch like the Pebble again. I don't need color or all this extra health stuff.
If that's not FOSS, then there no "Freedom" in that either.
My galaxy watch I bought many years ago has this same feature, is cheaper, and looks amazing. I got the "classic" model with the turning frame. It's an outstanding watch even to this day. No lag, great battery, and very bright even in sunlight.
I enjoy my $26 watch
Not three-fiddly?
I am very curious to see if this will be the first smartwatch that works with tattooed wrists. None of the health & security features have ever worked for me with any of the major brands.
Ha ha ha ha ha!
Apple need to put back the fingerprint scanner on their iPhones 💯

You've viewed 149 comments.