Blood Oxygen Feature Makes A Comeback On Apple Watch In The U.S.
More than a year and a half after Apple had to briefly halt Apple Watch sales and then remove the blood oxygen feature from the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer devices, the company announced a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature is being added to the models sold in the U.S.
According to a press release, Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 sold in the U.S. will get a software update coming later today with this update. Apple explains: "Users with these models in the U.S. who currently do not have the Blood Oxygen feature will have access to the redesigned Blood Oxygen feature by updating their paired iPhone to iOS 18.6.1 and their Apple Watch to watchOS 11.6.1. Following this update, sensor data from the Blood Oxygen app on Apple Watch will be measured and calculated on the paired iPhone, and results can be viewed in the Respiratory section of the Health app. This update was enabled by a recent U.S. Customs ruling."
Apple says that nothing is changing for Apple Watch models purchased outside of the U.S. or those that include the original Blood Oxygen feature.
Blood oxygen's return to Apple Watch opens the path for new technologies
In the press release the company says its teams "work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features that are grounded in science and have privacy at the core."
While Apple will make sure the experience of using the blood oxygen feature remains faithful to the one available globally, it's going to be interesting to see the company offering two different possibilities for this function.
That said, even though the company is still fighting Masimo and appealing the patent infringement decision made in 2023, this update opens the path for upcoming features, including the long-rumored blood pressure monitoring, which is expected to debut next month with the Apple Watch Series 11.
BGR will let you know once the company releases iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 to iPhone and Apple Watch users re-enabling this feature to eligible Apple Watch users.