"Apple Ditches Blood-Oxygen Feature to Sidestep Watch Import Ban"

Apple may remove the blood oxygen feature from its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 if its appeal of the import ban is unsuccessful, following a claim by medical device maker Masimo that certain Apple Watch models infringe on its blood oxygen monitoring technology patents. Masimo stated that US Customs and Border Protection found Apple's redesign to be outside the scope of the import ban, and Apple told them that the redesigned watches do not contain pulse oximetry functionality. The import ban initially took effect on December 26, but the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit temporarily paused it, allowing Apple to continue sales while it fights the ban.