Selling the newest Apple Watches without the blood oxygen feature will help Apple avoid being banned

In order to maintain its legal battle with Masimo, Apple has decided to delete the blood oxygen capability from its most recent Apple Watches. This will allow the business to continue importing and selling the watches in the United States.

Apple said in a statement that the modified Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will go on sale on Thursday. The two gadgets were unveiled in September.

Apple and Masimo, a manufacturer of medical devices, have been embroiled in an intellectual property dispute for months. The International Trade Commission concluded in October that Apple’s blood oxygen watch sensors violated Masimo’s patents.

Before Apple received a brief reprieve in December, the impacted watches were briefly prohibited. However, an appeals court removed the injunction that had prevented the ban from going into effect on Wednesday. The ITC ruling, which is still appealing, was upheld by the court.

Apple rarely removes functionality from products that have been released. Some customers may find the gadget less appealing because it lacks a blood oxygen sensor.

Apple stated that although it may take more than a year, it expects that the appeals court would ultimately overturn the ruling and permit the unaltered watches to be placed back on store shelves.

Apple recorded $39.8 billion in sales of wearables, which includes headphones, in its fiscal year 2023.