Apple to remove pulse oximeters to get around import ban on smartwatches

Apple plans to remove pulse oximeters from its smartwatches to avoid an import ban affecting the product, according to a court filing Monday.

Last month, the company temporarily removed the latest model of the Apple Watch from shelves after the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered the company to stop selling the watch in the United States, but a federal court suspended that order late last month and temporarily resumed sales.

The import ban stems from a complaint filed in 2021 by medical device maker Masimo, which claimed that Apple stole its human resources and intellectual property to add pulse oximeters to its watches. Although the company lost its patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, the ITC ruled in Masimo's favor last year.

This ban specifically applies to Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday agreed to a technical change to the Apple Watch that removes the pulse oximeter feature to lift the import ban, Masimo said in a court filing released Monday. Ta.

Apple is also seeking a permanent stay of the ban pending the company's appeal, which is expected to be decided this week. If a federal appeals court decides to keep the ban permanent, pulse oximeters will remain on watches.

It's unclear exactly how this feature will be removed from the product, but it will probably be removed via a software update.

Apple argued that the company would suffer “irreparable harm” if the ban was allowed to continue pending appeal.