The blood oxygen feature is about to disappear from new Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 devices. While Apple itself has not released a statement or responded to our request for comment, both Bloomberg and 9to5Mac are reporting that the feature will be going away and that US Customs and Border Protection has approved the measure, which would allow Apple to consider selling both products after their sale was banned last year.
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 were both banned in the US late last year as the result of a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo. The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that the blood oxygen sensors in both devices infringed on patents from Masimo.
Apple pulled the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 from its physical and online stores in the days before the ban went into effect on December 26th, 2023. But their disappearance didn’t last long. Apple filed an appeal against the decision and won a temporary pause on the watch ban, allowing it to resume sales in the US while it waited for the US Customs and Border Protection to assess its changes.
In the weeks since, Apple has scrambled to make changes to the watches in an attempt to avoid Masimo’s patents. Customs was tasked with determining whether the company’s proposed changes were enough, and according to a letter from Masimo’s attorneys published by 9to5Mac all parties appeared to agree on the new plan to remove the feature from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2.
“Apple’s claim that its redesigned watch does not contain pulse oximetry is a positive step toward accountability,” Matt Whewell, director of Global Communications at Masimo, told The Verge via email.
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg additionally reports that modified watches have already been shipped to Apple retail stores, but that the stores have been instructed not to sell the modified watches until they receive word from corporate.
For now, the feature appears to still be active on watches already sold and Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg told The Verge via email that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 would continue to be available with the feature (though she did not clarify how long that would be the case). So, it’s unclear exactly what all this means for Apple Watch owners and prospective owners.
Given the sheer confusion you might want to carefully check the notes before applying any update to your watch, and maybe continue to hold off buying a new Apple Watch if the blood oxygen feature is really important to you.
Update January 15, 2024 3:49 PM ET: Added comments from both Masimo and Apple.
FAQs
Apple has found a new workaround for the import ban on its latest Apple Watch models. The company will remove blood oxygen functionality from its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 if its appeal of the import ban is unsuccessful, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported.
Why is the blood oxygen feature banned on Apple Watch? ›
Apple got tangled up in a patent infringement lawsuit with Masimo, a medical technology company. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Masimo in October, saying Apple's use of pulse oximeter technology (blood oxygen measuring) in the Apple Watch violates Masimo's patent.
Why is Apple removing the blood oxygen feature? ›
Apple will disable the blood-oxygen feature on premium watches sold in the US as part of a patent dispute. Apple says it will disable a blood-oxygen monitoring feature on its two most popular watches in the U.S. beginning Thursday to comply with a court-ordered revival of a sales ban stemming from a patent dispute.
Why is the US banning blood oxygen sensors? ›
The ban stems from an intellectual property dispute with Masimo, a medical device company. In October, the International Trade Commission found that Apple's blood oxygen sensors had infringed on Masimo's intellectual property.
Is SpO2 being removed from Apple Watch? ›
The ability to measure blood oxygen is no longer available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States beginning January 18, 2024.
Is Apple removing pulse oximeter from watches to avoid sales ban? ›
Apple to remove pulse oximeter from Apple Watches to avoid ban on sales in US. Apple has agreed to remove a blood oxygen measurement tool from two of its Apple Watch models so it can avoid a sales ban on the devices in the U.S., Bloomberg reported.
Will Apple get blood oxygen back? ›
Apple can potentially reactivate the feature through a software update or settle with Masimo for a licensing deal. Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 users in the United States may have to wait until 2028 to regain access to the blood oxygen monitoring feature.
Can you trust Apple Watch blood oxygen? ›
In patients and conditions where the conventional pulse oximeter measured >90% spO2, the Apple Watch measured on average 1% higher than the conventional device. The authors concluded that the spO2 measuring was sufficiently advanced for indicative measurement outside of the clinic.
Why does the Apple Watch 9 not have blood oxygen? ›
Apple's announcement comes after a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the company can't continue to sell watches with a blood oxygen sensor while the feature remains under a patent dispute with health tech company Masimo.
Is Apple Watch oxygen level correct? ›
The Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch is an accurate wrist-based pulse oximeter capable of both on-demand and background measurements.
Starting on Thursday, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will no longer detect people's blood oxygen levels, to comply with a ruling by the International Trade Commission.
Does the Apple Watch Ultra 2 still have blood oxygen? ›
The ability to measure blood oxygen is no longer available on Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States on or after January 18, 2024. These units are indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A.
Are blood oxygen sensors to be removed from Apple watches as company looks to avoid ban reports? ›
Apple plans to remove blood-oxygen sensors from some of its smartwatches to avoid a U.S. ban, several outlets reported. The move from Apple, which would allow the company to keep its watches on the market, is an apparent way around a patent dispute related to the technology.
Is pulse oximeter better than Apple Watch? ›
But some studies have compared the accuracy of certain smartwatches to medical grade pulse oximeters. The Apple Watch, for example, consistently stayed within about 3% of a medical pulse oximeter reading. Other smartwatches that have been compared to medical pulse oximeters hovered between 3% and 6%.
What features are removed from the Apple Watch? ›
Impact of the blood-oxygen removal from the Apple Watch
The decision to eliminate the blood-oxygen feature from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 is a significant one, as it was a prominently advertised function of these devices.
Did Apple disable blood oxygen? ›
The company is now selling versions of its latest wearables without the contested tool online and in stores. Apple on Thursday resumed selling its Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 online and in stores, with a key change: The blood oxygen feature at the heart of a long-simmering patent dispute has been disabled.
Is Apple removing the blood oxygen feature from some watches after US ban? ›
Apple will remove the blood oxygen measuring feature from some of its latest Apple Watches in the United States in a move that will allow the company to continue selling the devices in the country as it fights a lawsuit against California-based health technology firm Masimo.
Is Apple Watch blood oxygen FDA approved? ›
Three years have passed, and Apple still hasn't got FDA – or any health agency in the world – approval for this technology. That said, unlike the reliable ECG function, which works as an FDA-approved feature, the blood oxygen monitor doesn't.
