The pulse oximeter feature has returned to Apple smartwatches. |
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Apple has unexpectedly released a firmware update for the Series 9, Series 10, and Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches, restoring the blood oxygen measurement feature that was previously disabled due to a patent dispute. The company announced this on its official blog. The update is available to owners of devices with watchOS 11.6.1 firmware paired with an iPhone running iOS 18.6.1 or later. Apple notes that the ?return? of the pulse oximeter was made possible by a recent ruling by the US Customs Service. After the update, sensor readings collected using the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and processed on the iPhone. The results can be viewed in the Breathing section of the Health app. Apple was previously forced to disable the blood oxygen monitoring feature in models released after January 2024 due to a ban caused by a patent dispute with Masimo. By moving the measurement and calculation of blood oxygen levels from the Apple Watch to the iPhone, the brand was able to circumvent this restriction. |
