Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 return to the US without blood oxygen monitor

Apple has resumed the sale of its Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US after temporarily eliminating the blood oxygen feature.

This decision follows an ongoing patent infringement dispute and aims to comply with a recent ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC).

Reintroduction of Revised Apple Watches

Starting from 6AM PT on January 18, customers were able to buy the revised Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 without the blood oxygen feature.

Despite the removal of this vital functionality, Apple ensures that previously sold watches with the blood oxygen feature will remain unaffected by the change.

Legal Battles and Response

The conflict stems from a patent infringement claim made against Apple by healthcare company Masimo, resulting in a ban on the sale of the new Apple watches in the US by the ITC in October 2023.

Apple pursued an appeal, leading the US Court of Appeals to temporarily lift the ban in December 2023.

However, the court ruled to reinstate the ban in January 2024 until the resolution of Apple's appeal. In response, Apple opted to remove the blood oxygen tracking feature from the models to resume selling in the US market.

Implications and Market Impact

Analysts anticipate that this legal battle may persist for a significant period, prompting Apple to compromise on the feature rather than withdraw from one of its major markets.

It's important to note that the removal of the blood oxygen feature applies specifically to watches sold in the US, with existing Apple Watches and devices sold outside the US remaining unaffected by these legal proceedings.