In August 2025, Apple reintroduced a redesigned version of the Blood Oxygen monitoring feature on the Apple Watch in the U.S., shifting data processing from the device to users’ iPhones to circumvent an ongoing patent dispute with health tech firm Masimo. This move came 18 months after Apple began selling certain Apple Watch models without the feature, following a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling that found the original implementation infringed Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents.
The ITC has now launched a new investigation to determine whether Apple’s workaround violates the same patents, potentially leading to another import ban on affected models.
In new filings today, the ITC said it “has determined to institute a combined modification and enforcement proceeding” to determine whether the redesigned Apple Watch blood oxygen feature is permitted under the initial ITC import ban. The decision was made following a complaint from Masimo.
According to the ITC, conditions have changed because Apple is now selling a redesigned watch that wasn’t part of the original investigation. This, in turn, justifies the revisiting and will be the “sole issue to be resolved” in the proceeding.
The review includes the question of whether Apple causes infringement by selling an Apple Watch that, once paired with an iPhone, performs the disputed features.
MacDailyNews Take: The ITC says it expects to make a decision within six months. You know, thanks to government expeditiousness.
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