The Apple Watch‘s blood oxygen sensor has been on the middle of what seems like a unending tennis match of authorized back-and-forth.
In 2020, the Apple Watch Collection 6 launched with the sensor that measures your blood’s oxygen saturation (SpO2), which is how a lot oxygen crimson blood cells decide up out of your lungs and transport to the remainder of your physique. That very same yr, world medical expertise 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 stated it would not evaluation a preliminary ruling discovering that the redesigned Apple Watch would not infringe Masimo’s patents. This can be a main win for Apple.
Except Masimo decides to attraction the choice, Apple can carry blood oxygen monitoring again to its gadgets.
However primarily based on the historical past of this case, it will not be the top 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 gadgets.
Forward of the Apple Watch Collection 11 launch, Apple reintroduced blood oxygen sensing in August 2025, which was permitted by the US Customs and Border Safety. It obtained 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 choice.
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 Courtroom for the Central District of California discovered that Apple infringed one in all Masimo’s patents and awarded the corporate $634 million in damages. Apple instructed AppleInsider that it plans to attraction, 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 evaluation the ruling in Apple’s favor, Masimo could proceed the battle, particularly given its November win, after which the corporate launched a press release saying, “We stay dedicated to defending our IP [intellectual property] rights shifting 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 would all the time buy a pulse oximeter. It is a gadget that estimates your blood oxygen stage by measuring the sunshine that passes by means of your finger. No messy authorized battles concerned.
