Apple wins another round against masimo in blood oxygen patent battle
Apple has scored another
legal victory against Masimo, the medical device company challenging the tech giant's redesigned Apple Watch models that lack on-device blood oxygen functionality still touted in marketing.Us court dismisses masimo's complaint against customs and border protection
A filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia confirms that all parties have agreed to dismiss Masimo's complaint against the International Trade Commission (ITC) and US Customs and Border Protection. The dismissal is with prejudice, meaning Masimo can't refile this exact complaint.
This is a separate track from the ITC ruling we covered last month, when an ITC judge determined that Apple's redesigned Apple Watch models don't infringe Masimo's blood oxygen patents. The District Court complaint was Masimo's attempt to challenge how CBP cleared Apple's redesign in the first place.
Apple not out of the woods yet
However, the saga isn't completely over. Masimo can still appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, with a notice deadline of June 16, 2026. So while Apple has racked up multiple wins recently, the door isn't fully shut. For now, though, there's no immediate threat of a new Apple Watch sales ban in the US.
This Apple victory is a real sigh of relief for Cupertino, especially after years of redesigns, software workarounds, and the brief import ban that pulled the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 off shelves back in late 2023.
What it means for apple watch owners
The catch nobody at Apple is putting on the marketing slides: blood oxygen is still not running on the Apple Watch itself in the US. Apple's workaround, in place since August 2024, processes the readings on your paired iPhone instead, and that's how the redesigned models keep clearing customs.
If you bought an Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2, Series 10, or Series 11 in the US, you're getting a watered-down version of what Apple originally pitched. It's the same workaround we flagged a full year ago, so progress for actual users has been pretty much zero.
The bottom line on Apple's quiet streak of wins: We'll definitely be keeping an eye on this saga because health features are exactly the kind of thing many consider when picking a wearable. Apple winning the legal battles is great for shareholders, but if on-device pulse oximetry is a deciding factor for you, this latest dismissal doesn't move the needle.