In late December and January, there was much buzz about the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 due to a lawsuit filed by health tech firm Masimo against Apple for patent infringement related to the pulse oximeter feature on these watches. An International Trade Commission (ITC) judge ruled in favor of Masimo, leading to an exclusion order that could ban the import of these watches into the U.S. unless Apple paid to license the patent, altered the feature, or removed the pulse oximeter entirely.

Despite receiving a temporary stay from the import ban while appealing the ruling, Apple eventually had to remove the affected products from its U.S. stores. President Biden could have vetoed the exclusion order but did not, prompting Apple to sell the watches without the pulse oximeter. This feature measures oxygen levels in red blood cells and helps monitor oxygen distribution in the body.

To comply with regulations, Apple disabled the pulse oximeter feature on both models once paired with an iPhone during setup. Users attempting to use it on affected units receive a warning that it is unavailable. Masimo was provided with code used to disable this feature, ensuring it cannot be easily reactivated.

Although Masimo argued that Apple had not fully removed the pulse oximeter from these watches, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol disagreed and deemed that sufficient steps were taken to comply with patent laws. When these patents expire in August 2028 or if Apple wins an ongoing appeal, users can potentially have this feature reinstalled promptly on their devices.

Overall, this legal dispute has led to changes in how these Apple Watch models are sold in response to patent infringement claims.