Yes, Apple Watch Is Ditching the Blood Oxygen Feature, but It's Not a Great Loss

Masimo's David has taken on Apple's Goliath, and right now, it appears to be winning. The tech behemoth has just removed the blood oxygen monitor from the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Currently, the Apple product pages for these two models show a banner at the top that reads, "Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 no longer include the blood oxygen feature." Apple is in the middle of a patent fight with health technology company Masimo over the pulse oximeter feature in these two Apple Watch models, which measures the level of oxygen in the blood. Masimo claims that Apple is using its patented tech, and Apple has been forced to halt sales and now disable the feature entirely to comply while the legalities are worked out. But, given that the Apple Watch's readings aren't even that accurate, does it even matter?

"The blood oxygen feature is fairly accurate, from the research I've seen, but it's not medical grade, so I would say overall, no, it's not very useful," Graham Bower, developer of iOS health app Reps and Sets and Apple Watch expert, told Lifewire via email.

Blood Measurements

The details of Masimo's patent dispute with Apple is beyond the scope of this article, but the gist is that the latest Apple Watches may be using Masimo's blood-oxygen measuring tech without permission or payment. A pulse oximeter shines two LEDs (one red, one infrared) into the body, and measures the absorption of light. It uses this information to calculate the levels of hemoglobin molecules that are bound to oxygen in the blood and, from there, gives a readout of your blood oxygen levels.

There are variations on this method, using more colors of light, for example, but this is the general way the technology works. And apparently, Apple is using Masimo's proprietary tech to do it. What's more, it appears that Apple is so far unable to take the raw data from those physical sensors and process it in a way that doesn't violate the patents, which is why it has removed the feature entirely.

The dispute is ongoing, and the pace is pretty hectic for the usually slow-moving legal system, but right now, it seems that the US Customs agency (which can halt the import of infringing products) is satisfied with the compromise, so Series 9 and Ultra 2 can remain on sale with the oximeter feature removed.

This dispute is specifically about the SpO2 light-based pulse oximetry sensor used in both these models, which is why previous models that also measure blood-oxygen levels (the Apple Watch Series 6 and onwards) are not affected. And if you're outside the US, then this doesn't affect you at all.

Oxi-Counting

So, depending on the outcome, SpO2-sensor-based oximetry may or may not return to the Apple Watch in the future. But really, it might not be any great loss anyway. Apple Watch's biggest limitation, health-sensor-wise, is that it sits on your wrist. That's not bad for taking your pulse, but it's not ideal for many other readings.

"Pulse oximeters are usually a clip on the end of your finger," says Bower. "The back of the wrist is a bad location for testing just about everything, [and] to get an accurate reading with the Apple Watch, you have to be sitting super still with your wrist resting in your lap."

Even so, a semi-accurate reading might still be useful over time.

"While it's true that the blood oxygen monitor on the Apple Watch has faced criticisms for its accuracy compared to medical-grade devices, semi-accurate health monitoring sensors can still provide valuable insights for users. In my opinion, they can serve as early indicators or trend identifiers for changes in health, promoting awareness and prompting further investigation," Apple user Jennifer Silver, a dental surgeon and owner of the McLeod Trail Dental clinics, told Lifewire via email. "In my professional opinion, having semi-accurate health monitoring sensors is generally better than having no monitoring at all."

Overall, this isn't really much of a loss for users. The Apple Watch remains a pretty average health-sensing device, and if you want more or better sensor data, you need to use specialist equipment anyway. While the entire patent system might be both dumb and broken, Apple is certainly happy to wield it when it suits, so this is a nice—if rare—win for an underdog.