Defeat in patent dispute
Apple disables health function in new US watches
January 15, 2024, 9:47 p.m
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After the defeat in the patent dispute with Masimo and a US import ban, Apple reacts. The iPhone company is deactivating the function for measuring oxygen levels in the blood in its new smartwatches. However, only devices sold in the United States are affected.
Apple is turning off the blood oxygen level measurement function in new computer watches in the USA in order to be able to continue selling the devices after losing a patent case. The move was revealed in court documents. The medical technology company Masimo, which had obtained a US import ban on the Apple Watch, announced that the American customs authorities had accepted the iPhone company’s solution. The decision is not yet publicly available because Apple considers parts of it confidential.
The financial service Bloomberg then reported that Apple was already sending modified versions of the current Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models to the company’s US stores. Masimo accuses Apple of using a patented technology for measuring oxygen levels using light beams in its watches without a license. Apple is also said to have poached employees from Masimo to use the technology in the Apple Watch.
In October, Masimo won a case before the US trade authority ITC, which banned the import of the affected Apple Watch models into the US. The White House was able to overturn the decision with a veto, but decided against it. The dispute has no impact on sales in other countries. The function can also continue to be used in devices already sold in the USA. Apple took the ITC decision to court and is also trying to have the import ban suspended for the duration of the proceedings. Masimo recently emphasized that they were open to a licensing agreement with Apple.