Apple has reportedly found a workaround for the import ban on its latest smartwatch models, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. The company plans to eliminate the blood oxygen monitoring feature from these watches if its appeal of the import ban proves unsuccessful. The ban was imposed following a claim by medical device maker Masimo, alleging that certain Apple Watch models violated its patents related to blood oxygen monitoring technology.
Masimo recently filed a statement, not publicly disclosed, stating that the US Customs and Border Protection determined Apple’s redesigned watches fall outside the import ban scope. The filing indicates Apple assured Customs and Border Protection that the redesigned watches “definitively do not contain pulse oximetry functionality,” marking a significant development in the ongoing legal battle.
Despite Apple’s insistence that the blood oxygen monitoring tool is still available in the Series 9 and Ultra 2, the company is preparing for potential changes, demonstrating its readiness to remove the feature if the appeal fails. Apple anticipates a ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on its motion for a stay of the import ban, with a full appeal likely taking at least a year.
The import ban, initially effective on December 26, temporarily halted sales of the affected Apple Watch models. However, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit intervened the following day, allowing Apple to resume sales while legal proceedings continue. Apple’s potential removal of the blood oxygen monitoring feature seems strategic, aiming to maintain the availability of its latest smartwatches in the US market amid the ongoing legal dispute.
