Apple will disable blood oxygen sensor in Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to bypass import ban

Apple has decided to disable the featureblood oxygen levels in its latest smartwatches, the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2. The move will allow the company to circumvent a ban on importing smartwatches into the US, imposed as a result of losing a patent dispute with Masimo.

Masimo announced that on January 12US Customs and Border Protection has approved Apple's proposed change to watch functionality. The agency "determined that Apple's redesign exceeded the scope" of the import ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission. This suggests that Apple's changes will allow it to continue selling its watches in the US.

In October, the ITC ruled that Apple devicesinfringe Masimo's patents related to technology for measuring blood oxygen levels. This forced Apple to suspend sales of Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 on the twentieth of December. True, Apple was soon able to obtain permission to temporarily resume sales, but by January 12 it lost its power, and the company had to take more radical measures. Apple has come up with a workaround - block the function of measuring blood oxygen levels in software. The decision was submitted to US Customs last week. Apple explained that the updated watch "definitely" does not contain the technology in question.

Removing pulse oximetry technology from your watchThe Apple Watch is a desperate move. The company's engineers were working on a software update that would change the blood oxygen level app and its algorithms to bypass the ban without disabling the feature itself. But disabling the feature entirely was likely the quickest way to avoid the sales ban being reintroduced.

"Apple may have paid a high price forto circumvent the US import ban, writes Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tamlin Bason. “It was a very hyped feature.” The expert also noted that while eliminating the immediate risk of a ban is a positive for Apple, the move “could reduce consumer demand.”

Apple has already started shipping modified watchesWatch Series 9 and Ultra 2 at US retail locations. Stores were told not to open or sell modified devices until they received approval from Apple headquarters.

In addition, it is expected that this weekA federal appeals court will hear Apple's request to stay the ban. So far, the ban has been lifted on an emergency basis, pending a hearing. Last week, the ITC urged the appeals court to reject "weak and unpersuasive" arguments in support of an attempt to block the trade agency's enforcement of the ban.