Apple says the ability to measure blood oxygen levels will no longer be available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models, after the tech giant's loss in a patent case. Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
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Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images
Apple says the ability to measure blood oxygen levels will no longer be available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models, after the tech giant's loss in a patent case.
Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images
Starting Thursday, the ability to measure blood oxygen levels will no longer be available on newly purchased Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models.
According to the tech giant, customers who purchase the watches in the U.S. will still be able to see Apple's Blood Oxygen app on their devices, but when tapped, users will get a message saying the feature is no longer available.
Apple decided to drop the health feature after losing a patent case brought by the medical technology company Masimo, which alleged that Apple infringed on its patent for a blood oxygen sensor that can read someone's pulse. Apple has repeatedly denied the allegation.
The U.S. International Trade Commission found in October that some Apple Watches had violated Masimo's patents, and issued a ban on the import of watches that included the technology.
Apple has continued to appeal the case and said they believe the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should reverse the trade commission's decision.
"We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting orders," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the appeals court decided to reinstate the feature ban after temporarily granting Apple's request to pause it in December.
Instead of banning the watches outright, the court granted Apple permission to continue selling the watch as long as changes were made to remove the technology at the center of the patent fight.
In a statement, Masimo founder and CEO Joe Kiani wrote that the court's decision to reinstate the feature ban "affirms that even the largest and most powerful companies must respect the intellectual rights of American inventors and must deal with the consequences when they are caught infringing others' patents."
Apple said "there is no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the Blood Oxygen feature."
Last fiscal year, Apple made almost $40 billion in its so-called wearables category, and the company's watches are the top seller in the product line.
FAQs
Apple Watch users are losing a popular health app after court's ruling in patent case. Apple says the ability to measure blood oxygen levels will no longer be available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models, after the tech giant's loss in a patent case.
What is the Apple Watch controversy? ›
In 2021, AliveCor filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple over the heart-monitoring technology used in the Apple Watch, claiming that Apple had abused its monopolistic power with the electrocardiogram (ECG) technology.
Why was blood oxygen removed from the 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.
Is Apple to pause selling new versions of its watch after losing patent dispute? ›
Apple said on Monday that it would pause sales of its flagship smartwatches online starting Thursday and at retail locations on Christmas Eve. Two months ago, Apple lost a patent case over the technology its smartwatches use to detect people's blood oxygen levels.
Is Apple going to halt US sales of smartwatches after patent loss? ›
Apple announced on Monday (18 December) that it would be pausing the sale of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US, as it works through a patent dispute over the technology used in the devices' blood oxygen feature.
Why is the Apple Watch going to be banned? ›
The US International Trade Commission has banned certain Apple Watch models following a complaint by Masimo. The Watch's blood-oxygen measuring feature infringes on Masimo's patents, leading to an import ban on models using the disputed technology.
What happened with the Apple Watch lawsuit? ›
As reported by Reuters, a federal judge ruled in Apple's favor and dismissed an antitrust lawsuit that claimed that Apple had illegally monopolized the United States market on heart rate apps for the Apple Watch. AliveCor, a medical device and AI company, filed the lawsuit in 2021.
Is Apple Watch 9 banned? ›
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.
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.
Will Apple disable the oxygen sensor on existing watches? ›
Those who have already purchased the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the U.S. will still be able to use the blood-oxygen sensor as they have been. The sensor will continue to work on those watches purchased outside the U.S.
Apple stopped selling its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches last week in stores and online in response to an International Trade Commission order in October that found the blood oxygen sensor in the devices had infringed on intellectual property from Masimo , a medical technology company that sells to hospitals.
Are Apple Watches being discontinued? ›
Apple has stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches on its U.S. website, CNBC checks show. “Following December 24, 2023, Apple no longer sells Apple Watch units in the United States with the ability to measure blood oxygen,” according to fine print on Apple's product pages.
Why did Apple pause watch sales? ›
The restarting of sales comes hours after a federal appeals court paused a sales and import ban that covered both devices. Apple was banned from selling both products in the US after the US International Trade Commission found that the company had violated patents from the medical device maker Masimo.
Are smart watch sales declining? ›
Smartwatch shipments worldwide declined 1.5% year over year in Q1 2023, according to Counterpoint Research's Global Smartwatch Model Tracker, following an 8% YoY decline in Q4 2022.
How much money has the Apple Watch made? ›
The company doesn't say how much revenue the product line brings in, but it's a core part of its Wearables, Home and Accessories business, which generates more than $40 billion a year. According to analyst estimates, the Apple Watch alone made about $17 billion in fiscal 2023, which ended in September.
What is the patent lawsuit against Apple? ›
The jury awarded VirnetX $502.8 million in 2020 after a separate jury determined that Apple's iPhones and iPads infringed patents related to virtual private networks. The patent office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board allows petitioners to challenge the validity of specific patents.
Is the Apple Watch removing blood oxygen? ›
All Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 models that Apple sells in the United States now no longer come with a working blood oxygen sensor. The sensor previously monitored the levels of oxygen in the blood. The reason Apple disabled the blood oxygen sensor is a legal one.
Has Apple been in any controversy? ›
The US has filed a landmark lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of monopolising the smartphone market and crushing competition.
Is Apple canceling Apple Watches? ›
Here's why. Apple said it will halt sales of some of its Apple Watch products later this month because of a patent dispute over the devices' blood oxygen monitor.
What is the disadvantage of the Apple Watch? ›
Poor battery life is an unfortunate downside to owning an Apple watch, leaving users stuck with either having to charge it multiple times per day or making sure they always stay close to an outlet.
