Apple Hit With 634 Million Dollar Verdict in Apple Watch Patent Case

A federal jury in the United States has ordered Apple to pay 634 million dollars to medical technology company Masimo for infringing a patent related to blood oxygen sensing in the Apple Watch. The report was first published by Reuters.

Why Apple Was Fined

Masimo accused Apple of using its patented blood oxygen monitoring technology without permission. The long-running lawsuit focused on how the Apple Watch measures and processes SpO2 data. Masimo called the verdict a major win for protecting its medical innovations. Apple responded by saying Masimo has sued it in multiple courts over 25 patents, most of which were found invalid. Apple also highlighted that the patent in this case expired in 2022 and covered older patient-monitoring technology.

Ban on Apple Watch Sales in the United States

The legal dispute affected Apple Watch sales in the U.S. starting in December 2023, when the blood oxygen feature caused an import and sales ban. Apple continued selling watches only during a brief interim appeal. When the ban was reinstated on January 18, 2024, Apple disabled the blood oxygen feature in software so the hardware no longer violated the ruling. This allowed the company to keep Apple Watch models available in the U.S.

Also Read: iOS 26 Beta 7 Brings Back Blood Oxygen Tracking to Apple Watch in the U.S.

Apple’s 2025 Workaround to Restore Blood Oxygen Monitoring

For more than 18 months, Apple Watch users in the U.S. could not use the blood oxygen feature. The capability returned in August 2025 through a redesigned system. Apple moved the processing of blood oxygen data from the watch to the paired iPhone. Users could still view SpO2 readings, but technically the watch itself no longer handled the measurement. U.S. Customs approved this workaround, allowing Apple to continue selling watches with blood oxygen support through the iPhone.

Masimo Is Still Challenging Apple

Masimo did not accept Apple’s workaround. The company filed another lawsuit aiming to overturn the U.S. Customs decision and stop sales of Apple Watch models that support blood oxygen monitoring in any form. A ruling on that new lawsuit has not yet been issued.

What Happens Next

Apple plans to appeal the 634 million dollar judgment. Until the appeal and the latest lawsuit are resolved, the future of blood oxygen monitoring on Apple Watch models in the U.S. remains uncertain.