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Blood Oxygen Feature Finally Returning to Apple Watch in the US
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I got an older Series 7 model for the blood oxygen feature. It was kind of fun to play with. I could hold my breath to lower my blood oxygen or breath heavily to get it to 100. But then I’ve never used it since playing with it. It’s not a sensor that gets activated automatically like the heart rate sensor; you have to manually activate it like the EKG.
I have found the watch reading to be very accurate compared to a standalone calibrated medical device.
It is still a real feature. Not sure why you think it isn't. The same information is just being moved to the phone.
FREEDOM!!!!!!! Ok, let me get this straight.. all it took was doing the biometric data CAPTURE on the device, then sending that data block TO THE PHONE to calculate and report, and then I guess SENDING it BACK TO THE DEVICE (overall in probably about 1-2 seconds total process time) and displaying it on the watch..
And THAT works to work around the patent?.. couldn’t they have done that, like TWO YEARS AGO??????
And THAT works to work around the patent?.. couldn’t they have done that, like TWO YEARS AGO??????
It also needed a new ruling by US Customs. Consider the timing.
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The results does not get shown on the watch just the phone.
We used to test them all the time here at work (hospital) against our equipment, and they always pretty close to the same.
Garmin and Fitbit are/were, too.
No not sending the results back to the Apple Watch ⌚️ Staying on the iPhone in the Health App.
More dependency on the iPhone isn’t a good thing. Too much and the appeal of the cellular model will go down hill then folks will be asking themselves why I have a watch at all when I also have a phone nearby.
Steve Jobs: I’ll revolutionize the World 🌍 📱
Tim Cook: I’ll save costs and find a Way Always 😉 ⌚️
Tim Cook: I’ll save costs and find a Way Always 😉 ⌚️
I don’t know what’s wrong with yours, but the blood oxygen sensor on my Ultra 2 and Series 9 both activate in the background and I typically get a new reading every ~2 hours. This was the same on my series 8 and series 7 as well. You do not need to activate it manually to get readings.
Sorry, this is simply false. In the actual court case over infringement, the jury could not reach a verdict, although voted 6-1 against Masimo. After Masimo’s loss in court, they went to the International Trade Commission that uses much lower standards and received an import ban. Apple is currently appealing that case.
Do people not read the articles?
This isn't coming back to the watch -- it's processing it on the phone, to be viewed in the Health App on the iPhone, to skirt the patent situation on the Watch with some trickery.
Embarrassing that it's come to this for a 3T company.
This isn't coming back to the watch -- it's processing it on the phone, to be viewed in the Health App on the iPhone, to skirt the patent situation on the Watch with some trickery.
Embarrassing that it's come to this for a 3T company.
Ok, well that’s still BBBAAAADD!… I can only hope the AWU3 has a real display, or its still a no go for me.
However if you have an older Apple watch (say Series 6) AND you had the battery replaced, the PO2 feature was disabled when they returned the watch to you - and it would appear that we are not getting the blood oxygen sensor reenabled with this watcOS update
Apple today announced that blood oxygen monitoring will return to Apple Watch models in the United States via a software update.
Apple says that its blood oxygen monitoring feature has been "redesigned" for the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States. The new solution involves measuring sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on the Apple Watch and sending it for calculation to a paired iPhone, with the results to be viewable in the Respiratory section of the Health app.
The redesigned blood oxygen monitoring feature will be available as part of iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1. The updates will roll out later today.
Apple Watch models in the United States that include the original blood oxygen monitoring feature and those purchased internationally will remain unchanged, with no need for the workaround solution.
Apple says that the update is enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling. Apple has been in a long-running patent dispute with health technology company Masimo over the Apple Watch's Blood Oxygen feature. The conflict intensified in December 2023 when an import ban took effect, which blocked U.S. sales of Apple Watch models with the feature.
Apple paused sales in the U.S. for several days before resuming on January 18, 2024, with the Series 9 and Ultra 2 being sold without blood oxygen monitoring. That arrangement has remained in place since then. The Apple Watch Series 10 launched in September 2024, still lacking the feature. Legal proceedings between Apple and Masimo continue.
Article Link: Blood Oxygen Feature Finally Returning to Apple Watch in the US
This is not “some trickery”, it is changing the way the feature works so that it cannot be argued to be infringing. Patents cover specific implementations of an idea. Different implementations do not infringe. Apple is still appealing the ITC ruling.