A US appeals court has rejected Apple’s request to pause the import ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models with blood oxygen sensors. This follows an International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling that Apple’s technology infringes on patents held by medical device company Masimo. As a result, Apple will be prohibited from selling these watches with the pulse oximetry feature in the US, starting January 18, 2024.
However, Apple isn’t going down without a fight. The company plans to continue selling the affected models in the US, albeit with the blood oxygen feature temporarily disabled. A new version of the watches, lacking this functionality, will be available for purchase on Apple’s website and in stores starting January 18.
Despite the missing feature, the Blood Oxygen app will still be present on these watches. However, tapping on it will display a message stating the feature is unavailable and direct users to a support article for more information.
It’s important to note that this change only affects new purchases in the US and does not impact existing Apple Watches with the blood oxygen feature.
The story continues to unfold, and we’ll keep you updated on any further developments.
