Earlier today, Apple release watchOS 11.6.1 and iOS 18.6.1 which re-enabled support for those who had dormant blood oxygen sensors in their Apple Watches. This is a big deal for Americans as they have been without the feature since 2023, while the rest of the world has this feature.
Now I downloaded these updates and I noticed nothing that was any different than usual. Which is that you test your blood oxygen level using your Apple Watch and the result is displayed on your Apple Watch. For US customers it’s different. When you test our blood oxygen levels on Apple Watch, instead of displaying the measurement on the Apple Watch, you’re directed to the Health app on your iPhone for the results because that’s where the results are calculated.
So Apple is playing a bit of a game here to bypass the patent that Masimo has when it comes to this sort of thing. My guess is that Apple is going this route to make sure that they sell as many Apple Watches as possible in the US when the new models hit the streets this fall. Plus not having blood oxygen available in the US likely hamstrung their Vitals feature which gives you an indication of whether you’re coming down with something or you’re fine. I’m open to alternate theories so post away in the comments below with yours.
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This entry was posted on August 14, 2025 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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How Does The Blood Oxygen Feature For Apple Watch Work For Americans?
Earlier today, Apple release watchOS 11.6.1 and iOS 18.6.1 which re-enabled support for those who had dormant blood oxygen sensors in their Apple Watches. This is a big deal for Americans as they have been without the feature since 2023, while the rest of the world has this feature.
Now I downloaded these updates and I noticed nothing that was any different than usual. Which is that you test your blood oxygen level using your Apple Watch and the result is displayed on your Apple Watch. For US customers it’s different. When you test our blood oxygen levels on Apple Watch, instead of displaying the measurement on the Apple Watch, you’re directed to the Health app on your iPhone for the results because that’s where the results are calculated.
So Apple is playing a bit of a game here to bypass the patent that Masimo has when it comes to this sort of thing. My guess is that Apple is going this route to make sure that they sell as many Apple Watches as possible in the US when the new models hit the streets this fall. Plus not having blood oxygen available in the US likely hamstrung their Vitals feature which gives you an indication of whether you’re coming down with something or you’re fine. I’m open to alternate theories so post away in the comments below with yours.
Share this:
Like this:
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This entry was posted on August 14, 2025 at 4:14 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Apple. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.