Apple To Reintroduce Blood Oxygen Feature On Select Watches Following Customs Ruling

Apple Inc. AAPL will introduce a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature for some Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 users through an iPhone and Apple Watch software update later on Thursday.

Users with these models in the U.S. who currently do not have the Blood Oxygen feature will have access to the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature by updating their paired iPhone to iOS 18.6.1 and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1.

Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app.

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A recent U.S. Customs ruling enabled this update.

There will be no impact on Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the original Blood Oxygen feature, nor will it impact Apple Watch units purchased outside of the U.S.

Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 also offer users irregular rhythm notifications, the ECG app, Sleep Apnea Notifications, Fall Detection, sleep tracking, wrist temperature sensing, the Vitals app, the Noise app, the Medications app, and the Mindfulness app, among many other health-related tools.

The Verge reported that Apple has been locked in a long-running legal fight with Masimo Corp MASI, a medical device company known for its pulse oximeters. MASI stock is trading around 3.4% lower at $150.64 on Thursday.

Masimo sued Apple in 2020, accusing it of patent infringement and stealing trade secrets.

In 2021, Masimo also brought the case to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which led to an import ban on certain Apple products in December 2023.

Apple has countersued, claiming Masimo’s smartwatches copy the Apple Watch, and an appeal against the ITC ban. The appeal is still in progress, while Masimo’s patents remain valid until 2028.

In another set of events, Apple is planning a major return to the AI race with a range of new products, including robots, an upgraded Siri, a smart speaker with a screen, and home-security cameras.

A tabletop robot, expected in 2027, is at the center of the plan and designed to act as a virtual companion.

A smart speaker with a built-in display is set to launch next year as part of Apple’s move into more affordable smart-home gadgets.

Bloomberg reported that the company also sees home security as a growth area, with new cameras forming the core of an Apple security system that can automate household tasks.

While Apple is still developing its AI software, executives believe the hardware lineup will be crucial in regaining ground against rivals like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd SSNGY SSNHZ SSNLF, Meta Platform Inc META.

Beyond home devices, Apple is preparing slimmer, redesigned iPhones for release this year. Plans include smart glasses, a foldable phone, a special 20th-anniversary iPhone, and a new version of its headset called N100. The company is also working on a large foldable device that combines MacBook and iPad features.

Price Action: AAPL stock is trading lower by 0.89% to $231.26 at last check Thursday.

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