14 Aug 2025, 16:56
Apple Restores Blood Oxygen Monitoring in New Models of Watches
- Apple has updated the blood oxygen monitoring function for watches.
- Data is now processed on the iPhone, not on the watch.
- Changes apply only to new models sold after 2024.
This is reported by TechCrunch, The Verge.
Apple announced the introduction of the revamped blood oxygen monitoring function for some models of the Apple Watch Series 8, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra. This step allows the company to bypass the import ban imposed by the International Trade Commission (ITC).
Data on blood oxygen will now be measured and processed on a paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the "Breathing" section of the "Health" app. This means that users will not be able to view this data directly on the watch.
This updated functionality became possible following a recent ruling by the U.S. trade agency, which allowed the company to import watches with the new monitoring function. Changes apply only to models sold after January 17, 2024, when the import ban was imposed.
This decision does not affect models that were sold earlier or outside the U.S., where the original function is still available. Users of Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2 watches need to update their devices to watchOS 11.6.1 and iOS 18.6.1 to access the new function.
Apple has been in a lengthy legal dispute with the company Masimo, which claims technical infringement in patents related to pulse oximeters. In 2023, Masimo achieved success at the ITC, which led to the ban on Apple watches with blood oxygen monitoring.
Tags: Technology/Devices