Why Apple Watch no longer has blood oxygen monitoring feature
What's the story
Apple's highly anticipated blood oxygen monitoring feature is not making a comeback anytime soon. The tech giant had removed the non-invasive pulse oximetry capability from its Apple Watch lineup in early 2024. This decision was part of an ongoing patent dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company that had accused Apple of infringing on its patents related to this feature.
Leadership changes
Masimo's new CEO takes charge amid ongoing legal battle
In February 2025, Masimo appointed Katie Szyman as its new CEO. Analysts had hoped she would be more open to settling with Apple than her predecessor. However, that doesn't seem to be the case so far. On July 7, Apple argued in a US appeals court that the ban on its blood oxygen monitoring feature should never have been imposed and sought an outright reversal of it.
Ongoing dispute
Masimo accuses Apple of poaching employees
Masimo countered Apple's arguments, accusing the company of trying to "rewrite the rules." The company also claimed that Apple had poached its employees, giving it an unfair advantage as they knew trade secrets of Masimo's blood oxygen monitor. Masimo launched its W1 oximeter in 2022, two years after Apple's Series 6 introduced SpO₂ tracking. Apple sued over design similarities but was awarded just $250 in October 2024. This was a symbolic amount that underscored the case's limited success.
Feature removal
Patent dispute forces Apple to disable the feature
The patent dispute led Apple to either stop selling its smartwatches in the US or remove the blood oxygen monitoring feature. The company chose the latter in January 2024, disabling the feature for new buyers of Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 models. However, those who bought their devices before this change still have a working blood oxygen monitor on their watches.
Uncertain future
What's next for Apple and Masimo?
Despite the legal challenges, Apple could be working on new hardware changes for its upcoming models. The company hasn't announced any plans to bring back the feature in its latest watches, including the Apple Watch Series 10 and a new black Apple Watch Ultra 2. As of now, it's unclear when this legal battle will end or if Apple can find a workaround that doesn't rely on Masimo's patents.