Apple(US:AAPL) Hua Er Jie Jian Wen·2025-08-14 15:45Core Viewpoint - Apple Inc. is set to restore the blood oxygen monitoring feature on its Apple Watch after resolving a long-standing patent dispute with Masimo Corporation, which had previously led to a sales halt in the U.S. [1][2] Group 1: Legal and Regulatory Developments - Apple faced a patent infringement lawsuit from Masimo regarding the blood oxygen detection technology used in Apple Watch, resulting in a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) that found Apple in violation [1]. - Following the ITC's ruling, U.S. Customs imposed an import ban on certain Apple Watch models, prompting Apple to suspend sales of these models in the U.S. by the end of 2023 [1]. - The blood oxygen monitoring feature was removed from the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 when sales resumed in January 2024 [1]. Group 2: Product Updates and Market Impact - Apple will reintroduce the blood oxygen monitoring feature through software updates (iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1) for users in the U.S. who purchased the affected models without this functionality [1]. - The update will allow the Apple Watch to send sensor data to paired iPhones for processing, with results viewable in the iPhone's Health app [1]. - This development comes at a crucial time for Apple, as it prepares to launch new Apple Watch models and the iPhone 17 series, leveraging the restored feature as a health selling point [2]. Group 3: Market Reactions - Following the announcement, Masimo's stock price fell by as much as 5.2%, reflecting investor concerns over the impact of the ruling and the ongoing legal battle [2]. - Apple’s stock experienced a decline of over 0.8% during early trading on the day of the announcement [3].