Apple Watch ditches blood oxygen feature to prevent import ban

The blood oxygen feature is reportedly getting the boot from the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. Although Apple hasn’t officially said anything about it or responded to our inquiry, sources like Bloomberg and 9to5Mac claim the feature is getting axed. They also mention that the US Customs and Border Protection has given the green light for this change, allowing Apple to potentially sell both devices again after they were banned last year.

Late last year, the US put the kibosh on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 due to a patent beef with medical device maker Masimo. The International Trade Commission (ITC) decided that the blood oxygen sensors in both gadgets were stepping on Masimo’s patent toes.

Just before the ban kicked in on December 26th, 2023, Apple yanked the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 from both its physical and online stores. But the vanishing act was short-lived. Apple threw in an appeal, scoring a temporary break on the watch ban. This allowed them to start selling again in the US while waiting for the US Customs and Border Protection to give the nod to their tweaks.

In the weeks that followed, Apple hustled to tweak the watches, hoping to sidestep Masimo’s patents. Customs had the job of deciding if Apple’s adjustments were sufficient. According to a letter from Masimo’s lawyers, as reported by 9to5Mac, it seems like everyone involved was on board with the new plan to ditch the feature from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2.

“Apple’s claim that its redesigned watch does not contain pulse oximetry is a positive step toward accountability,” Matt Whewell, director of Global Communications at Masimo, told The Verge via email. According to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, the updated watches have already been sent to Apple retail stores. However, the stores got the memo not to put the modified watches up for sale until they get the green light from the bigwigs at corporate.

As of now, the feature seems to be working on watches that have already been sold. Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg emailed The Verge, saying that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 would still come with the feature (without specifying for how long). So, it’s a bit fuzzy what all of this implies for current and future Apple Watch users.