The tech giant initially halted the sales and import of Apple Watch models featuring the blood-oxygen sensor towards the end of 2023 in response to a complaint filed by Masimo. Then, the International Trade Commission (ITC) ordered a ban in October, prompting Apple to file an emergency appeal.

According to Masimo’s report, Apple’s devices violated its patents related to pulse oximetry sensors measuring blood oxygen levels. In response, Apple has implemented a software modification to disable the pulse oximetry sensors in its current stock, allowing for sales of these models to continue.

 However, there is uncertainty as to whether this adjustment complies with the terms of the ban or if users could potentially bypass the software change. The legal battle is anticipated to last a year or more, impacting Apple’s sales strategy and potentially necessitating a redesign of the devices. There is no guarantee of success for Apple, as the company expressed strong disagreement with the federal court decision. Nevertheless, it remains committed to complying with the ban. Masimo sought $1.85 billion in damages during a federal trial over intellectual property, which concluded in a hung jury.

For now, a message has been posted on Apple’s website and specifically on the Apple Watch Series 9 page: “Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 no longer include the blood oxygen feature.”

Here’s Apple’s full statement to 9to5Mac:

Apple’s appeal is ongoing, and we believe the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit should reverse the USITC’s decision. We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting orders.

Pending the appeal, Apple is taking steps to comply with the ruling while ensuring customers have access to Apple Watch with limited disruption. These steps include introducing a version of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States without the Blood Oxygen feature. There is no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the Blood Oxygen feature.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 without the Blood Oxygen feature will become available from apple.com starting 6am PT on January 18, and from Apple Stores starting January 18.

In his upcoming book, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, which will hit bookshelves in late January 2020, Diamandis makes the case for why he believes big tech companies are going to be running healthcare by 2030.

Healthcare is the biggest business in the world, and it is phenomenally broken, says Peter Diamandis, cofounder of the X-Prize, Singularity University, and Health Longevity Inc.

Amazon has put significant effort into making Alexa a health resource. In the United Kingdom, it has partnered with the National Health Service to answer basic health questions such as “What are the symptoms for shingles?” or “What do you do if you have a cold?” It has also made Alexa compliant with U.S. HIPAA laws and signed partnerships with major healthcare insurers and providers so patients can access or remit health information through the device. To date, there are nearly 2,000 health wellness skills on its platform.

Meanwhile, Apple’s HealthKit takes a slightly different approach to tackling personal health. The kit connects to Apple’s own products such as the HomePod, iPhone, and Apple Watch as well as a bevy of devices from other companies, such as scales and blood pressure cuffs. The HealthKit can also tap into electronic medical records and other apps connected to hospitals and doctors. Essentially, it becomes a single repository for all your precious health data.

Diamandis believes the involvement of home health devices has the potential to lower costs by shifting care away from hospitals, where expenses can be much higher.

This is the general idea behind telemedicine, but Diamandis thinks that big consumer tech companies will play a big role in driving that vision. He also thinks that these companies, which have mastered using personal data to anticipate user behavior, can use personal health data to make predictions about a person’s long-term health prospects and advise them accordingly.

Diamandis predicts Apple and Amazon will get a hold of a provider the place an individual will pay an organization to stay them wholesome, moderately than to hide the price of sickness, in accordance with their well being historical past and day by day actions. And large tech may now not simplest affect an individual to make more healthy choices, it might power them.

You can read more about Diamandis’s point of view here

Apple Watch has become an indispensable part of our customers’ everyday lives, from helping users stay connected to the people and information they care about, to inspiring them to live a better and more active day, said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. watchOS 6 extends our commitment to helping users better manage their health and fitness with powerful and personal new tools.

Health and Fitness

The new Cycle Tracking app gives women the ability to log important information related to their menstrual cycles and see predicted timing for their next period and fertile window using the convenience of Apple Watch. The daily log function enables the quick addition of information related to the menstrual cycle, including current period, flow, symptoms, results from ovulation prediction kits and other elements of fertility tracking. The new Cycle Tracking feature is also available in the Health app on iPhone with iOS 13.

Maintenance of hearing health positively impacts the quality of life and studies have shown that hearing loss has been associated with cognitive decline.
With the optimal position of Apple Watch on the wrist, the Noise app helps users understand the sound levels in environments such as concerts and sporting events that could negatively impact hearing. As the sound levels change, the app’s decibel meter moves in real time. The watch can send a notification if the decibel level reaches 90 decibels, which can begin to impact hearing after four hours per week of exposure at this level, according to the World Health Organization.

Read the full Press Release at apple.com