Apple to bring blood oxygen feature to some US watches with software update
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Apple will bring a blood oxygen measurement feature to some of its watch models via a software update after receiving approval from the U.S. government amid a protractedlegal dispute over the technology, it said on Thursday.
The move will allow users of Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States to view their blood oxygen levels on a paired iPhone.
It comes after years of legal wrangling with Irvine, California-based Masimo, which has accused Apple of hiring its employees andstealing its pulse oximetry technologyafter discussing a potential collaboration.
Masimo won a ruling at the U.S. International Trade Commission to block imports of watches with the feature, which prompted Apple to remove the feature and set off a lengthy appeals process.
The watch models affected Thursday did not have the blood oxygen feature when shipped, but Apple said U.S. Customs had approved the software update.
With the update, auser can start a session in the blood oxygen app on Apple Watch, and the Apple Watch sensors will collect data that will be used by the iPhone to calculate and display the levels, Apple said.
Apple first introduced pulse oximetry in its Series 6 Apple Watches in 2020. Masimo released its blood oxygen tracking W1 watch in 2022.
Masimoconvinced the ITCto block imports of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in 2023, based on the commission's determination that Apple's technology for reading blood oxygen levels infringed upon Masimo's patents.
Appletemporarily resumedsales of the watches the next day after persuading the Federal Circuit to pause the ban.
The Federal Circuitreinstated the banthe next month, leading Apple toremove pulse oximetry capabilitiesfrom its watches in the United States.
Masimo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
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Apple to bring blood oxygen feature to some US watches with software update
FILE PHOTO: View of an Apple logo at an Apple store in Paris, France, April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor/File Photo SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Apple will bring a blood oxygen measurement feature to some of its watch models via a software update after receiving approval from the U.S. government amid a protractedlegal dispute over the technology, it said on Thursday. The move will allow users of Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States to view their blood oxygen levels on a paired iPhone. It comes after years of legal wrangling with Irvine, California-based Masimo, which has accused Apple of hiring its employees andstealing its pulse oximetry technologyafter discussing a potential collaboration. Masimo won a ruling at the U.S. International Trade Commission to block imports of watches with the feature, which prompted Apple to remove the feature and set off a lengthy appeals process. The watch models affected Thursday did not have the blood oxygen feature when shipped, but Apple said U.S. Customs had approved the software update. With the update, auser can start a session in the blood oxygen app on Apple Watch, and the Apple Watch sensors will collect data that will be used by the iPhone to calculate and display the levels, Apple said. Apple first introduced pulse oximetry in its Series 6 Apple Watches in 2020. Masimo released its blood oxygen tracking W1 watch in 2022. Masimoconvinced the ITCto block imports of Apple's Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in 2023, based on the commission's determination that Apple's technology for reading blood oxygen levels infringed upon Masimo's patents. Appletemporarily resumedsales of the watches the next day after persuading the Federal Circuit to pause the ban. The Federal Circuitreinstated the banthe next month, leading Apple toremove pulse oximetry capabilitiesfrom its watches in the United States. Masimo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
