Latest news with #healthfeature
Forbes
5 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
Apple Reveals Apple Watch Missing Feature Returns To U.S. Users Today
Apple has just announced that a key health feature, missing from some Apple Watches for more than 18 months, is back. The blood oxygen monitoring feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will return with a software update to be released on Aug. 14. Here's the background, and why it matters. Back in December 2023, Apple withdrew the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from sale because of this blood oxygen monitoring feature. This was related to a long-running intellectual property dispute with the medical technology company Masimo. The company had never taken Apple Watches off the shelves before. In January 2024, the watches were back on sale, but the blood oxygen monitoring feature had been removed. And since then, all Apple Watches sold in the U.S., including the Apple Watch Series 10 that followed last September, have lacked the feature. Until today. Apple has now given an update on the situation and has created a 'a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users through an iPhone and Apple Watch software update,' it said on the Newsroom site. The reason for the word 'some' is that all Apple Watches sold outside the U.S. and Series 9 watches that went on sale before late December 2023 have continued to have the original blood monitoring app. It's worth adding that the only Watch Apple currently sells which, from Aug. 14, will not have blood oxygen monitoring is the Apple Watch SE — it's never had this capability. The update only applies to those Apple Watch models purchased in the U.S. without the function, that is with model numbers ending in LW/A. The model number is found in the Settings app on the Apple Watch. Choose General, then About or in the Apple Watch app on the companion iPhone in Settings, under General and About. From today, every compatible Apple Watch will have access to this health feature, though it leaves an interesting complexity. For the first time, there are two different designs of the blood oxygen monitoring software. Presumably this fall's new crop of Apple Watches will have the new version.
Phone Arena
5 days ago
- Health
- Phone Arena
Blood oxygen monitoring returns to Apple Watch in the US — but with a twist
Apple Watch owners in the US are getting back as early as today a popular health feature that was taken away last year from the Apple Watch Series 9 , Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 . Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that blood oxygen tracking will return as part of an upcoming software update, ending a months-long absence caused by a legal dispute. Apple had to turn off the feature in late 2023 after a patent infringement lawsuit from medical technology company Masimo Corp. In this lawsuit, Masimo claimed that Apple's blood oxygen monitoring technology copied its patented designs. The US International Trade Commission agreed, which led to a US Customs order preventing Apple from selling watches with the feature active. Instead of removing the sensor from the hardware, Apple kept it in but disabled it for new units sold in the US. That meant customers could still buy the latest Apple Watch models but couldn't take a blood oxygen reading. The move allowed Apple to keep products on shelves while it looked for a legal and technical workaround. That workaround is arriving with iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1, which will roll out today . This has been confirmed by Apple in a post, clarifying that the update will allow readings to return for affected watches, but with a change: the measurement will now be calculated on the paired iPhone, not on the watch itself. Users will see their results in the Respiratory section of the Health app on iPhone, rather than directly in the Blood Oxygen app on the watch. Apple says this adjustment follows the updated terms of a US Customs ruling. The Apple Watch Blood Oxygen feature will be back with a twist. | Image credit — Apple This update restores a major Apple Watch health tool, especially for people who track wellness or train at high altitudes. However, some users may find the new setup less convenient, since readings no longer appear instantly on the watch screen. Competitively, this puts Apple back in line with rivals like Samsung. Galaxy Watch models have continued to offer on-wrist blood oxygen monitoring in the US without any interruptions, giving them an advantage while Apple's feature was offline. Apple's new approach still falls slightly behind in convenience, but it closes the gap in functionality. This change shows how Apple can adapt its technology to meet legal requirements without completely removing features. Luckily, for now, US Apple Watch owners will see the return of a feature many missed — even if it works a little differently than before.
