Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 Lose Blood Oxygen Feature to Dodge US Ban

Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will still be available for purchase in the US, but they will ship without the blood oxygen feature.

Written by David Delima | Updated: 20 January 2024 14:57 IST

Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 Lose Blood Oxygen Feature to Dodge US Ban

Photo Credit: Apple

Owners of the Apple Watch Series 9 (pictured) in the US won't be able to check their SpO2 levels

Highlights

Apple has found a way to dodge the ITC's Apple Watch ban in the US
Latest Apple Watch models will ship without the pulse oximetry feature
Apple could enable the feature in the US if the dispute is resolved

Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will no longer offer the company's blood oxygen feature on both models in the US, according to the company. In order to dodge a looming US ban on its latest smartwatches, Apple has disabled the pulse oximetry feature on its smartwatches, which infringe on patents held by medical technology firm Masimo. As a result, customers who purchase these two models in the US will not be able to measure their blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels.

Masimo CEO Joe Kiani told Bloomberg that Apple had not reached out to the medical technology firm to discuss a settlement amid the ongoing legal dispute between both firms. Apple has appealed a ruling of the International Trade Commission (ITC) in October that said the company infringed on Masimo's patents related to pulse oximetry, a feature that was first introduced with the Apple Watch Series 6.

Earlier this week, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Apple could not sell both models with the blood oxygen feature, while refusing to pause the import ban during the appeal period. As anticipated, Apple has disabled the blood oxygen sensor on its Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 that are sold in the US, to dodge the ban.

Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 May Drop Support for This Feature Soon

This means that both smartwatches in the US will still ship with a blood oxygen sensor, but its functionality will be disabled. The feature will also be disabled via the Watch app. Meanwhile, Apple has also updated its product pages for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US with a banner that informs customers the blood oxygen feature isn't available on those models, while it has also disappeared from the company's feature comparison charts for different models.

It is important to note that the restrictions on the blood oxygen feature only applies to customers in the US, which means that the feature will work on the same models sold in other countries, including India. If Apple and Masimo resolve the patent dispute in the future, the iPhone make should be able to activate the functionality once more, as the company has merely deactivated the hardware on these models.

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Apple Watch Series 9 GPS

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Strap Material Silicone

Dial Shape Rectangle

Display Type OLED Retina

Ideal For Unisex

More Apple Smartwatches

Apple Watch Ultra 2

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display Size 49mm

Compatible OS iOS

Dial Shape Rectangle

Display Type OLED Retina

Ideal For Unisex

More Apple Smartwatches

Apple Watch Series 6 GPS

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Strap Colour Silver, Gold, Space Grey, Pink, Blue, Red, Brown

Display Size 40mm

Dial Shape Rectangle

Display Type OLED Retina

Ideal For Unisex

More Apple Smartwatches

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Further reading: Apple Watch, Apple Watch ban, Masimo, Apple Watch series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, Apple Watch features

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More