Apple Watch Reintroduces Blood Oxygen Monitoring

In response to a ruling that had removed the blood oxygen monitoring feature from its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 due to patent infringement, Apple has now introduced a new version of this feature. The original tool was found to infringe on patents owned by a California company, Masimo. To avoid an import ban, Apple adjusted its approach, allowing the continued sale of these watches in the US.

Now, Apple has announced a redesigned version of the blood oxygen feature is returning to the Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 models. Leveraging a recent U.S. Customs ruling, the updated tool is engineered to circumvent the Masimo patents entirely. The function operates by sending sensor data to the user's iPhone for processing, with results accessible via the Health app.

This enhanced feature will be deployed through the watchOS 11.6.1 update for the watches and a corresponding iOS 18.6.1 update for iPhones. Notably, only US users of the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 are affected, as the restrictions did not apply to international markets. Watches already sold prior to the import ban retain the original functionality.

The legal battle traces back to January 2020 when Masimo initiated a lawsuit, accusing Apple of infringing its pulse oximetry patents. During earlier discussions in 2013, Apple reportedly poached engineers from Masimo to develop this feature independently.

This strategic redesign by Apple reflects a keen navigation of both technological innovation and legal compliance, illustrating the complexities of patent laws in tech industries.