Apple May Drop SpO2 Monitoring in Upcoming Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 Models to Avoid US Ban, Claims Report

In an effort to circumvent an import ban imposed by the International Trade Commission (ITC) last year, Apple is reportedly considering disabling a health monitoring feature on its upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models. The ITC ruling last year restricted Apple from importing and selling its latest smartwatches in the US due to infringement on two patents held by medical device maker Masimo.

The proposed solution involves the complete disabling of the blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, also known as pulse oximetry, on these new models. Apple’s legal filing suggests that by disabling this feature, the products would no longer infringe on Masimo’s patents, allowing Apple to avoid the import ban.

This potential change would not impact existing owners outside the US or those within the country who already own the devices, providing a strategic maneuver to address the patent concerns and ensure continued availability in the US market.

Meanwhile, Apple told the publication that until a US appeals court decides on a stay on the import ban during the ITC’s appeal period, Apple will continue to offer support for pulse oximetry on the Apple Watch 9 and Watch Ultra 2. The ITC has opposed Apple’s motion for a stay on the import ban, stating that the company didn’t face ‘irreparable harm’ from the ban as sales of only some models were affected.

Apple put both smartwatch models on sale again in the US at the end of last month, after it won an interim stay from an appellate court in Washington following a ban that saw it pull the listing for the products on December 21 and take them off shelves in the US on December 24. The decision of the appeals court on whether to stay the ban for the duration of the appeal period, is expected to arrive in the coming days.