The Apple Watch‘s blood oxygen sensor has been on the heart of what appears like a unending tennis match of authorized back-and-forth.
In 2020, the Apple Watch Series 6 launched with the sensor that measures your blood’s oxygen saturation (SpO2), which is how a lot oxygen purple blood cells choose up out of your lungs and transport to the remainder of your physique. That very same 12 months, world medical know-how firm Masimo filed a lawsuit claiming that Apple’s sensor infringed its patents. In 2023, the US Worldwide Commerce Fee sided with Masimo and imposed an import ban on Apple Watch Collection 9 and Extremely 2 fashions.
Nonetheless, on Friday, the ITC declined Masimo’s request for an additional import ban on the Apple Watch and mentioned it would not assessment a preliminary ruling discovering that the redesigned Apple Watch doesn’t infringe Masimo’s patents. It is a main win for Apple.
Until Masimo decides to enchantment the choice, Apple can convey blood oxygen monitoring again to its units.
However based mostly on the historical past of this case, it is probably not the tip of this match.
The historical past of Apple’s blood oxygen ban
The ITC turned concerned within the Masimo and Apple authorized battle in 2021, and in January 2023, it upheld that Apple violated Masimo’s patents. Then, in December 2023, the ITC banned Apple from importing its watches, together with the Collection 9 and Extremely 2, into the US.
To keep away from the ban, Apple disabled blood oxygen sensing on its units.
Forward of the Apple Watch Collection 11 launch, Apple reintroduced blood oxygen sensing in August 2025, which was accepted by the US Customs and Border Safety. It received across the ban through the use of a paired iPhone to show blood oxygen ranges as an alternative of the Apple Watch. Masimo sued US Customs over this resolution.
If relaunched, you’d be capable to view your blood oxygen ranges within the iPhone’s Well being app.
In November 2025, a jury for the US District Court docket for the Central District of California discovered that Apple infringed considered one of Masimo’s patents and awarded the corporate $634 million in damages. Apple informed AppleInsider that it plans to appeal, claiming that the patent expired in 2022.
Although the ITC has rejected one other ban on Apple’s blood oxygen characteristic and declined Masimo’s request to assessment the ruling in Apple’s favor, Masimo could proceed the battle, particularly given its November win, after which the corporate released a statement saying, “We stay dedicated to defending our IP [intellectual property] rights transferring ahead.”
An Apple consultant did not instantly reply to a request for remark. Masimo declined to remark.
Within the meantime, in case your curiosity will get the most effective of you, you could possibly at all times buy a pulse oximeter. It is a machine that estimates your blood oxygen stage by measuring the sunshine that passes by way of your finger. No messy authorized battles concerned.
