Blood oxygen levels will no longer be available on newly purchased Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models.
Starting from Thursday, the newly purchased Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models will not have the feature to measure blood oxygen levels available. The Blood Oxygen app will still appear on the devices of those who purchase the watches in the U.S., but when the app is used, users will receive a message stating that the feature is no longer available. This decision was made after Apple lost a patent case against the medical technology company Masimo, which claimed that Apple infringed on its patent for a blood oxygen sensor that can read someone’s pulse. Apple has denied the allegation multiple times and is continuing to appeal the case, believing that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should reverse the trade commission’s decision. The appeals court recently reinstated the feature ban after temporarily granting Apple’s request to pause it in December. Instead of completely banning the watches, the court has allowed Apple to continue selling the watches, but changes must be made to remove the technology that was at the center of the patent fight. Masimo founder and CEO Joe Kiani stated that the court’s decision to reinstate the feature ban affirms that even large and powerful companies must respect the intellectual rights of American inventors. Apple has made it clear that previously purchased Apple Watch units that include the Blood Oxygen feature will not be impacted. The company’s watches are the top seller in its product line, and last fiscal year, Apple made almost $40 billion in its wearables category.