Apple is turning off the blood oxygen level measurement function in new computer watches in the USA in order to be able to continue selling the devices after losing a patent case. The move was revealed in court documents on Monday.
The medical technology company Masimo, which had obtained a US import ban on the Apple Watch, announced that the American customs authorities had accepted the iPhone company’s solution. The decision is not yet publicly available because Apple considers parts of it confidential. The financial service Bloomberg then reported that Apple was already sending modified versions of the current Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models to the company’s US stores.
Masimo accuses Apple of using a patented technology for measuring oxygen levels in its watches without a license. In October, Masimo won a case before the US trade authority ITC, which banned the import of the affected Apple Watch models into the US. The dispute has no impact on sales in other countries. The function can also continue to be used in devices already sold in the USA.
Apple went to court against the ITC decision and at the same time tried to have the import ban suspended for the duration of the proceedings. (dpa)