Apple Disables Blood Oxygen Monitoring in U.S. Apple Watches to Avoid Patent Infringement, But Feature Can Be Reactivated
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Apple disabled blood oxygen monitoring in Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models sold in the U.S. to avoid infringing on Masimo's patents, but it can be reactivated through software.
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The pulse oximetry ban applies only to models sold in the U.S. The feature remains enabled in other countries.
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Apple will likely be able to re-enable the feature in 2028 when the patents expire, or sooner if its appeal is successful or it reaches a settlement with Masimo.
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Masimo was able to get pulse oximetry working on the disabled models by pairing them with a jailbroken iPhone, showing the feature could be reactivated through software.
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Masimo's CEO said customers are "better off without" the Apple Watch blood oxygen feature because it is not a reliable medical device, but Apple maintains it is useful wellness information.