SAN FRANCISCO – Apple is set to introduce a blood oxygen measurement feature to select Apple Watch models following U.S. government approval, ending a lengthy legal dispute surrounding the technology. This update, announced recently, will allow users with Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S. to monitor their blood oxygen levels directly on their paired iPhone.
The development comes after years of disputes with Masimo, a company based in Irvine, California. Masimo has accused Apple of hiring its employees and misappropriating its pulse oximetry technology during discussions about a potential collaboration.
Previously, Masimo secured a ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission to halt imports of certain Apple watches featuring this measurement, prompting Apple to abandon the function. This legal battle led to a drawn-out appeals process, and Masimo saw a 4.5% drop in its shares following recent news.
The affected watch models originally shipped without the blood oxygen feature, but U.S. Customs has now approved the software update. Once users activate the blood oxygen app on their Apple Watch, the sensors will gather data, which the iPhone will then use to calculate and display the user’s levels.
Pulse oximetry was first introduced by Apple in its Series 6 watches back in 2020, while Masimo launched its own blood oxygen tracking watch, the W1, in 2022. In 2023, Masimo successfully argued to the ITC that Apple’s technology infringed its patents, resulting in a ban on imports of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models. Apple managed to temporarily lift this ban the following day but faced reinstatement just a month later, forcing the company to remove the pulse oximetry function from its watches sold in the U.S.
As of now, Masimo has not issued a comment regarding the latest developments.
