Apple Restores Blood Oxygen Tracking on Apple Watch After Masimo Settlement

Apple Inc. has announced that it has reached a settlement with Masimo Corp., ending a prolonged legal dispute. As a result, the tech giant will reinstate the blood oxygen tracking feature on its Apple Watch devices in the U.S. market. This feature had been suspended since late 2023 due to patent litigation and a U.S. Customs order. The reinstatement will be facilitated through an iOS update, which will be pushed to users' devices. This development marks a significant resolution for Apple, allowing it to restore a key health feature that has been widely appreciated by users. The settlement underscores the importance of intellectual property rights and the complexities involved in resolving such disputes in the tech industry.

On August 14, Apple announced that the blood oxygen tracking feature on the Apple Watch would be restored in the U.S. market following a settlement with Masimo Corp. This feature had been disabled since late 2023 due to a patent dispute and a U.S. Customs order. The restoration will be implemented through the release of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 updates. Notably, Apple has modified the operation of the blood oxygen feature. Instead of displaying data directly on the Apple Watch, the data will now be transmitted to the paired iPhone for processing. Users can view the detection results in the "Health" app under the "Breath" section.

Apple stated that this update is based on a recent decision by the U.S. Customs. The update will apply to Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users in the U.S. who had the blood oxygen function disabled. Devices that already have the feature enabled or were purchased outside the U.S. will not be affected by this update. This move by Apple is a strategic response to the legal challenges it faced, allowing it to regain a competitive edge in the wearable technology market. The settlement with Masimo Corp. not only resolves the legal dispute but also highlights Apple's commitment to providing innovative health features to its users. The company's ability to navigate complex legal issues and continue to deliver high-quality products demonstrates its resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges.