Apple Watch models sold in the United States lack Blood Oxygen monitoring due to a years-long legal battle between the Cupertino tech giant and the California-based health startup Masimo. However, Apple Watch owners in the US can soon get Blood Oxygen on their devices through a software update.
As announced by the company, Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will get a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature via a software update. The rollout begins later today, but it might take some time before all owners can get the Blood Oxygen on their device.
“Users with these models in the U.S. who currently do not have the Blood Oxygen feature will have access to the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature by updating their paired iPhone to iOS 18.6.1 and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1,” Apple said.
Masimo had previously succeeded in persuading the US International Trade Commission to ban the import of Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen monitoring into the United States.
To circumvent the ban, Apple says the sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone. Users can also see the results in the Respiratory section of the Health app. Apple noted that US customs now allows them to import Watches with a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature.
The latest change applies to Apple Watches sold after January 17, 2024, and does not affect devices sold before that date or those sold outside the United States.
The legal dispute between Apple and Masimo began after the health startup accused the iPhone maker of poaching its key employees and patent infringements. Masimo sued Apple in 2020 and, in 2021, filed a separate complaint with the US International Trade Commission, leading to an Apple Watch import ban in 2023. Apple Watch Series 6, released in 2020, was the first model to get blood oxygen monitoring.