Apple Drops Blood Oxygen Feature Amid Masimo Infringement Claims

In response to the infringement allegations raised by Masimo, leading to a potential sales ban in the United States for the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9, Apple has confirmed the removal of the blood oxygen measurement software feature. This decision aims to circumvent the implicated infringement, facilitating the continued sale of these products in the U.S. market.

Apple is removing the blood oxygen measurement software feature from the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 to avoid infringement issues. Existing products and international sales versions will remain unaffected.

However, the updated versions of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 still require approval from higher authorities before they can be sold in the U.S. market. Thus, even if the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agrees with Apple’s method of avoiding infringement, the products may still not be available for regular sale in the U.S. if the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) disagrees. The markets outside the U.S., however, are currently unaffected and sales can continue as normal.

In a prior statement, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani noted that their patents involve both software and hardware design elements. Consequently, even with Apple’s software update, avoiding infringement issues may not be entirely possible, but the final ruling will depend on the judgment of the higher authorities.

Consumers who have already purchased the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 will not be affected by this update.