Apple Watch will have blood oxygen monitoring feature in 2028

Apple was previously sued by Masimo for infringing on its blood oxygen measurement technology. The decision affects the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

In 2023, a US court ruled that Apple had infringed on one of Maximo’s patents for blood oxygen measurement technology, a ruling later upheld by the US International Trade Commission. In January 2024, Apple halted sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US. It then resumed selling models without the feature.

Good news for Apple Watch fans in the US who missed out on the blood oxygen monitoring feature, this feature still has a chance to return. (Photo: medpagetoday)

Now, according to IT House on March 13, documents from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show that Apple is likely to resume selling the Apple Watch with a blood oxygen measurement feature no later than August 2028. This information also coincides with the expiration of the patent on blood oxygen measurement, which means that the affected Apple Watch can continue to be sold in the US market.

However, this is not the only factor affecting the return of this feature, because Apple is also actively appealing the ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission. If the appeal is successful, the blood oxygen measurement function on Apple Watch devices could return even sooner.

The whole situation is further complicated by the lack of a settlement between Apple and Masimo, the patent owner of the feature. As of now, a licensing deal seems unlikely. Masimo CEO Joe Kiani said in January that while he was open to discussions, he had not yet spoken to Apple.

But that’s not all. Masimo is concerned that Apple could enable the blood oxygen level measurement function on the iPhone, using a jailbreak trick through software updates. Therefore, Masimo is looking for more stringent restrictions.

HUYNH DUNG (Source: Gizmochina/Ithome)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/apple-watch-se-co-tinh-nang-theo-doi-oxy-trong-mau-nam-2028-ar858648.html