S7 battery replacement and blood oxygen - my experience

[jz0309]

My S7 Ti finally shows battery health at 79% (I've been waiting for this for like 9 months).
I do have AC+ so I contacted Apple support via phone as the webpage only gives you "bring it to an Apple Store" as an option. The nearest Apple Store is ~ 50 min away, didn't want to make that trip, twice ...
I have seen posts here indicating that Apple doesn't do an express replacement for the battery service, but they offered it so I took that option. And yes, there'll be a hold until they receive my watch back. Interestingly the hold is for $749 as replacement cost when the watch new actually cost $949, but ok.
I do have SpO2, on device, there was no mention of SpO2 during the call, so I didn't bring the topic up.
Once I receive the replacement I will check SpO2 and make sure it's on device, otherwise, contact Apple.

I know there have bee many threads re battery replacement and SpO2 during that process but didn't want to reply to one of those but rather put this up here as my own experience.

I will update this thread once I receive the replacement watch

 

[BugeyeSTI]

My S7 Ti finally shows battery health at 79% (I've been waiting for this for like 9 months).
I do have AC+ so I contacted Apple support via phone as the webpage only gives you "bring it to an Apple Store" as an option. The nearest Apple Store is ~ 50 min away, didn't want to make that trip, twice ...
I have seen posts here indicating that Apple doesn't do an express replacement for the battery service, but they offered it so I took that option. And yes, there'll be a hold until they receive my watch back. Interestingly the hold is for $749 as replacement cost when the watch new actually cost $949, but ok.
I do have SpO2, on device, there was no mention of SpO2 during the call, so I didn't bring the topic up.
Once I receive the replacement I will check SpO2 and make sure it's on device, otherwise, contact Apple.

I know there have bee many threads re battery replacement and SpO2 during that process but didn't want to reply to one of those but rather put this up here as my own experience.

I will update this thread once I receive the replacement watch

I"m confident you'll receive a model ending with LL/A whether using express replacement or in-store. Warranty replacement (no cost to you) is the key...

 

[waw74]

the OS versions that came out sometime in the last few weeks re-enabled oxygen sensing. They apparently do the processing on the phone instead of on the watch to get around the patent. I think because of the the blood oxygen app on the watch doesn't work, but you can see values on the phone. (not quite sure of the details, since my watch is from before they disabled it). Have a friend with a newer watch and says it's working for him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/1mq9xle/who_got_the_blood_oxygen_to_work

 

[QCassidy352]

My S7 Ti finally shows battery health at 79% (I've been waiting for this for like 9 months).
I do have AC+ so I contacted Apple support via phone as the webpage only gives you "bring it to an Apple Store" as an option. The nearest Apple Store is ~ 50 min away, didn't want to make that trip, twice ...
I have seen posts here indicating that Apple doesn't do an express replacement for the battery service, but they offered it so I took that option. And yes, there'll be a hold until they receive my watch back. Interestingly the hold is for $749 as replacement cost when the watch new actually cost $949, but ok.
I do have SpO2, on device, there was no mention of SpO2 during the call, so I didn't bring the topic up.
Once I receive the replacement I will check SpO2 and make sure it's on device, otherwise, contact Apple.

I know there have bee many threads re battery replacement and SpO2 during that process but didn't want to reply to one of those but rather put this up here as my own experience.

I will update this thread once I receive the replacement watch

Curious to hear how this goes since I also have a S7 Ti sitting at 80% (amazing how long it can stay at that exact value, isn’t it??). But I don’t have AC+, so I wonder if that’ll make a difference.

 

[jz0309]

Curious to hear how this goes since I also have a S7 Ti sitting at 80% (amazing how long it can stay at that exact value, isn’t it??). But I don’t have AC+, so I wonder if that’ll make a difference.

Yea, I think I saw 81% back in December of last year...
Originally it was like this: if under warranty (and AC+ is an extended warranty) then your refurb will have SpO2. If out of warranty, SpO2 will be disabled just like all the Saws sole after Jan 2024.
Now of course we have SpO2 back, just not on watch but calculated/displayed on phone.
Numerous users have confirmed they indeed got a refurb with SpO2 enabled with AC+, and then some have reported that SpO2 was disabled on their refurbs without AC+.
And then we saw some people saying they got SpO2 disabled even under AC+, incl 1 user saying they had to sign a waiver in-store that their replacement watch will have SpO2 disabled...
It's all buried in multiple threads so I started this one.

This S7 is my secondary watch, primary is an Ultra 2 that I got at original launch almost 2 years ago, so I had SpO2 all along.

Oh, and then there were some folks reporting that Apple wouldn't do express replacement anymore with AC+, but I have proven that not being the case, for now

 

[jz0309]

I"m confident you'll receive a model ending with LL/A whether using express replacement or in-store. Warranty replacement (no cost to you) is the key...

That is my expectation.

 

[jz0309]

the OS versions that came out sometime in the last few weeks re-enabled oxygen sensing. They apparently do the processing on the phone instead of on the watch to get around the patent. I think because of the the blood oxygen app on the watch doesn't work, but you can see values on the phone. (not quite sure of the details, since my watch is from before they disabled it). Have a friend with a newer watch and says it's working for him.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AppleWatch/comments/1mq9xle/who_got_the_blood_oxygen_to_work

That is correct, but watches sold before Jan 24 had SpO2 anyways since the S6.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Yea, I think I saw 81% back in December of last year...
Originally it was like this: if under warranty (and AC+ is an extended warranty) then your refurb will have SpO2. If out of warranty, SpO2 will be disabled just like all the Saws sole after Jan 2024.
Now of course we have SpO2 back, just not on watch but calculated/displayed on phone.
Numerous users have confirmed they indeed got a refurb with SpO2 enabled with AC+, and then some have reported that SpO2 was disabled on their refurbs without AC+.
And then we saw some people saying they got SpO2 disabled even under AC+, incl 1 user saying they had to sign a waiver in-store that their replacement watch will have SpO2 disabled...
It's all buried in multiple threads so I started this one.

This S7 is my secondary watch, primary is an Ultra 2 that I got at original launch almost 2 years ago, so I had SpO2 all along.

Oh, and then there were some folks reporting that Apple wouldn't do express replacement anymore with AC+, but I have proven that not being the case, for now

You can add me to the list of receiving a replacement S6 under AppleCare+ with SPo2 enabled. I turned in a watch ending with LL/A and received a refurbished unit ending with LL/A..

 

[QCassidy352]

Yea, I think I saw 81% back in December of last year...
Originally it was like this: if under warranty (and AC+ is an extended warranty) then your refurb will have SpO2. If out of warranty, SpO2 will be disabled just like all the Saws sole after Jan 2024.
Now of course we have SpO2 back, just not on watch but calculated/displayed on phone.
Numerous users have confirmed they indeed got a refurb with SpO2 enabled with AC+, and then some have reported that SpO2 was disabled on their refurbs without AC+.
And then we saw some people saying they got SpO2 disabled even under AC+, incl 1 user saying they had to sign a waiver in-store that their replacement watch will have SpO2 disabled...
It's all buried in multiple threads so I started this one.

This S7 is my secondary watch, primary is an Ultra 2 that I got at original launch almost 2 years ago, so I had SpO2 all along.

Oh, and then there were some folks reporting that Apple wouldn't do express replacement anymore with AC+, but I have proven that not being the case, for now

Ok so most likely my eventual replacement will have SpO2 only on phone? I guess that’s fine.

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Ok so most likely my eventual replacement will have SpO2 only on phone? I guess that’s fine.

Yes it will not show SPo2 on the watch, it will be on iPhone. You should receive a replacement watch with a model # ending with LW/A.. When the patents expire in 2028, your reading will be on the watch again.