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Apple Watch models in the US were banned from supporting this health feature since 2024 and now the company has found a way to make it work.
Apple Watch users getting this important health feature in the US
Apple Watch users are getting a major update this week which reintroduces an important health feature that has been missing for over a year. The availability of the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature has been confirmed by Apple via this post on Thursday, which also shares the details about the Apple Watch models that will support the new health tool.
Apple has been selling Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States since early 2024 without the ability to measure blood oxygen levels amid its patent dispute with Masimo.
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But the latest update around the matter suggests the company has reworked its tech for the wearables and it has the official green flag to push it for all its users.
Apple Watch Gets Blood Oxygen Feature Back: Why Does It Matter?
Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 users in the US will get the new feature via an update that is rolling out with the iOS 18.6.1 version and watchOS 11.6.1 for the Apple Watch models.
“Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app,” the post by Apple explains. This seems to be Apple’s way to bypass the sensor ban.
To recall this whole saga, Apple was ordered to stop offering the feature after being found to infringe on a patent owned by medical equipment maker Masimo. The patent is related to measuring blood oxygen.
People who bought these Watch models were able to see the Blood Oxygen feature icon but opening the app showed them the message “the Blood Oxygen app is no longer available.” The company said that any Apple Watch model indicated with part numbers ending in LW/A” was part of the banned list.
The medical company even accused Apple of poaching its employees to work on similar tech for the Apple Watch which got the ban in place in January 2024. The Apple Watch models before Series 9 and those importing the Apple Watch models were not part of the ban and the users were able to normally use all the health features.
About the Author
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
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