Return of Blood Oxygen Monitoring to Apple Watch

Highlights from ZDNET

After a significant hiatus spurred by legal challenges, Apple's Blood Oxygen sensing feature is re-entering the US market.

Eligible Models for Blood Oxygen Monitoring

Apple has unveiled plans to reintroduce a revised Blood Oxygen feature across selected Watch models such as Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2. This will be implemented via software updates slated for deployment this coming Wednesday.

US-based users whose watches were previously restricted will gain access by updating to iOS 18.6.1 on iPhones and WatchOS 11.6.1 on the devices. After these updates, the Blood Oxygen measurement capability can once again be utilized.

These updates specifically address devices sold within the US impacted by the restriction. Meanwhile, older models or those purchased internationally continue unaffected.

Revival Strategy for Blood Oxygen Tracking

What prompted Apple to resurrect its Blood Oxygen functionality? The term 'redesigned' holds the answer as adjustments have been made to sidestep former restrictions.

Apple revised the feature by shifting computations from the watch to a linked iPhone, circumventing a previous ban. Results are now accessed via the iPhone's Health app instead of directly on the watch.

This redesign convinced US Customs to permit the importation of updated Apple Watch models, facilitating the feature's restoration on existing devices.

A legal dispute with Masimo had initially led to the block on the Blood Oxygen feature. Masimo accused Apple of patent violations, initiating a chain of events that concluded with a temporary US ban on devices featuring the technology.

With the revived feature, not only can current models benefit, but future Apple Watch iterations, like Series 11 and Ultra 3, can launch with this functionality reinstated—all through simple software updates instead of hardware modifications.