The problem revolves around the smartwatch’s oxygen meter. As a user, you can see how much oxygen is in your blood via the Saturation app. That percentage can give an indication of your general health. The average is 95 to 100 percent. Too little oxygen in your blood can lead to complaints such as shortness of breath, fatigue and confusion.
But according to user Alex Morales, the sensor works less well on people with a dark skin color. According to the plaintiff, there have been complaints for decades about such devices that work less accurately with other skin colors, but Apple would not have informed users. According to Morales, the “mistake” could be dangerous because people make conclusions about their health based on incorrect oxygen levels.
The plaintiff filed a class action lawsuit in New York on Saturday. The case concerns all residents of the US states of Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming who have purchased an Apple Watch since 2020.
It is not the first time that the tech giant has received complaints about its smartwatch with regard to the skin. In 2015, users with black tattoos on their skin complained that the Apple Watch’s heart rate monitor became distorted and gave erroneous readings. Apple then confirmed the problem. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos would block the sensor’s light, leading to unreliable readings.