Apple reaches a settlement with Masimo, and the blood oxygen feature of Apple Watch returns to the U.S. market
On August 14, Apple Inc. announced that it would restore the blood oxygen tracking feature of the Apple Watch in the U.S. market after reaching a settlement in its long-term legal dispute with Masimo Corp. Previously, this feature was removed starting at the end of 2023 due to patent litigation and a U.S. Customs order. The restoration will be implemented through the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 system updates. Notably, Apple has adjusted the operation of the blood oxygen feature, with data no longer displayed directly on the Apple Watch but instead transmitted to the paired iPhone for processing. Users can view the test results in the "Breathing" section of the "Health" app. Apple stated that this update was made possible by a recent ruling from U.S. Customs and is applicable to U.S. users of the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, which had the blood oxygen feature disabled. Watches that were already equipped with this feature or purchased outside the U.S. will not be affected by this update
According to Zhitong Finance APP, on August 14, Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) announced that it will restore the blood oxygen tracking feature of the Apple Watch in the U.S. market after reaching a settlement in its long-term legal dispute with Masimo Corp. Previously, this feature was removed starting at the end of 2023 due to patent litigation and a U.S. Customs order.
The restoration will be achieved through the rollout of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 system updates. It is noteworthy that Apple has adjusted the operation of the blood oxygen feature; the data will no longer be displayed directly on the Apple Watch but will be transmitted to the paired iPhone for processing. Users can view the test results in the "Breathing" section of the "Health" app.
Apple stated that this update was made possible by a recent ruling from U.S. Customs and is applicable to U.S. users of the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, which had the blood oxygen feature disabled. Watches that were already equipped with this feature or purchased outside the U.S. will not be affected by this update
