The Apple Watch has proven to be a life-saving device in numerous instances across the world. In the most recent case, as reported by AppleInsider, the life of a 14-year-old boy was saved due to the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor. The boy had reportedly fallen victim to acute altitude sickness, but his father was able to monitor him through the use of an Apple Watch equipped with the blood oxygen sensor.
This came to light after Joseph, the young boy’s father, reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook, narrating the story of what transpired when he was able to use the Apple Watch when it mattered. Later, he shared Cook’s response with the publication. Joseph notes that the same happened in Peru, at an altitude of 14,000 feet.
Altitude sickness can be dangerous if not monitored, and this is why the Apple Watch came in handy as the father was able to monitor his son’s blood oxygen levels until help arrived to rescue them.
According to the report, this is what Tim Cook replied to Joseph when he sent him an email about the same: “This sounds like a terrifying situation. I trust that he is ok now,” Cook said. He added, “Thanks for sharing his story with us. Please give him my best.”
Recent Apple Watch Ban Goes Against This Potential Benefit
Incidents like these do support Apple’s narrative of having health tracking features, like the blood oxygen sensing technology in its Apple Watches, but this begs the question: Does the restriction on selling Apple Watches with blood oxygen sensing impact consumers in the long run, especially if they choose not to buy other dedicated health-tracking devices?
For those initiated, Apple Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 were subject to a ban within the country. This ban was imposed as a result of a patent dispute with the medical device manufacturer, Masimo, concerning their blood oxygen sensing technology.
In response, Apple has implemented a temporary solution by shipping these watches with the aforementioned feature disabled, effectively rendering what was once a potentially life-saving tool inoperable for the average consumer (only watches sold after January 18).
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