Apple Watch: Will Blood Oxygen Monitoring Make a Comeback?

Quick Summary

• At the end of 2023, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple infringed two of Masimo’s blood oxygen patents, leading to a ban on Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 sales in the US.
• The ruling passed a Presidential Review Period, during which Biden chose not to override the decision; this made blood oxygen-enabled models banned again by January 18, 2024.
• A subsequent legal appeal from Apple resulted in a brief pause on the import ban but was later denied by mid-January.
• As of now, while earlier models retain active blood oxygen monitoring features for existing users, newer ones sold in the US have disabled this function altogether.
• Blood oxygen tracking was introduced with Apple Watch Series 6 as “good-to-know information” rather than medically approved functionality but remains valuable for fitness enthusiasts.
• Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple has decided not to pursue further legal action or reinstatement of the feature yet-highlighting consumer dissatisfaction and possible reluctance among existing users to upgrade.

Read More

Indian Opinion Analysis

Apple’s decision not to reinstate blood oxygen monitoring functionality for newer smartwatches sheds light on challenges surrounding intellectual property rights in tech innovation. Given India’s aspiring push toward fostering domestic intellectual property alongside encouraging foreign investments, scrutiny over such global patent disputes holds lessons. As a notable example, balancing innovation incentives against monopolistic tendencies becomes key.

India’s deepening interest in wearable health technologies-with consumers increasingly relying on smart devices amid rising health trends-may benefit from observing developments like these. It signals opportunities for Indian startups and firms exploring wearables designed with unique IP approaches while remaining compliant globally. Additionally, evolving user sentiments around incomplete or altered functionalities could affect perceptions regarding device upgrades-a consideration local tech entities might heed when entering similar sectors.

This case resonates globally yet also aligns indirectly within India’s broader ambitions concerning promoting localized R&D ecosystems across health-tech industries without adverse dependency over imported solutions such debates subtle impacts remain significant oportunidad await innovators future Tech commercial scenarios