Blood oxygen function at Apple Watch remains prohibited for the USA

Apple has still not managed to build a patent dispute that has been pending for several years with the medical technology manufacturer Masimo. Apple Watch users in the United States have therefore no longer used the blood oxygen measurement, which has been 6 of the devices since the Series. In the meantime, an import ban had even threatened, which Apple had then avoided by software.

Feature simply switched off

How now that Financial news agency Bloomberg At the weekend, there are currently no plans to bring the function back to US devices again. The function remains hidden for new buyers of the current Apple Watch variants Series 10 and Ultra 2, even though the hardware gives them.

Apple doesn’t seem ready to reach an agreement with Masimo. Most recently, the case could be heard in October last year when Apple managed to partially win a counterclaim – although it was only very little money. A appellate procedure continues against the import or usage ban of the blood oxygen function. How it turns out is still unclear. The process is complicated by the fact that both local dishes and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) are switched on. Apple also competes against another American company. The group cannot count on “patriotic” help on the part of the ITC.

Blood oxygen measurement not perfect

However, the pulse oximeter in the Apple Watch has never been really extremely popular. Apple itself also always points out that the feature is not a medical function. The blood oxygen app serves “wellness and fitness purposes”. In the first tests in the introduction in 2020 there was also criticism of measurement accuracy.

In connection with Corona pandemic, the function of a pulse oximeter was very important to determine whether there is difficulties in oxygen supply in the context of an illness. Even now, the watch regularly checks the blood oxygen content, but sometimes it doesn’t work at night. Interestingly, Apple has implemented a feature for the detection of sleep apnea without the blood oxygen sensor. Instead, the exact motion sensors of the computer clock are used here.