Apple has officially announced that it will be turning off the blood oxygen tracking feature on its Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 smartwatches in the United States. This change will only affect new sales, meaning that these watches will not be able to measure SpO2 until the legal dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo is resolved.
Existing units on the market, including those already shipped to third-party retailers, will continue to operate as before. Users outside the United States will also not be impacted.
Apple Watch Series 9
Disabling the SpO2 sensor is Apple’s solution to be able to continue selling its latest smartwatches, as they would have otherwise been banned by the US International Trade Commission (ITC). However, the company was unable to update the interface, so those who purchase the Watch Ultra 2 or Series 9 will still see the blood oxygen icon. When tapped, they will be informed that the feature is not available.
Although Apple no longer discloses sales figures by device, its most recent report shows that 42% of its overall wearable revenue came from North America.
