Apple Watch users are expressing concern after reports surfaced that Apple is disabling the blood oxygen sensor on some watch models sent in for repair. This appears to affect even watches where the sensor was previously functional.
The news comes amidst an ongoing legal battle between Apple and medical technology company Masimo. Masimo claims that Apple’s blood oxygen sensor technology infringes on its patents. A US court recently ruled in favor of Masimo, forcing Apple to disable the blood oxygen sensor on Apple Watch models sold in the United States. But the catch is that this ruling only applies to new watches, not those already purchased by consumers.
Online discussions on Reddit reveal user reports of Apple service representatives informing them that the blood oxygen sensor would be disabled on their watches sent in for battery replacements, even if the watches were older models.
While Apple has not yet issued a public statement regarding this specific service policy, some users speculate it might be related to the legal case. Comments suggest Apple may be replacing watches instead of repairing them, and these replacements fall under the court order requiring disabled blood oxygen sensors on new watches sold in the US.
But let’s not confuse it with VO2 Max; it will still work as it was meant to, as many users seem to be confused. It’s important to clarify that VO2 Max monitoring does not rely on the blood oxygen sensor. Therefore, VO2 Max readings would not be affected by this policy change.
With the legal battle between Apple and Masimo ongoing, the future of the blood oxygen sensor on Apple Watches in the US market remains uncertain.