A California jury ruled Apple infringed Masimo patents tied to Apple Watch blood-oxygen tracking, awarding $634M. Apple disputes the claims and plans to appeal.
© A. Krivonosov
A federal jury in California ruled against Apple, saying the company must pay $634 million to medical manufacturer Masimo for patent infringement tied to blood-oxygen tracking technology. The case is part of a years-long, complex dispute that has already prompted a temporary pause in sales of certain Apple Watch models in the United States.
According to Reuters, the jury found that Apple used Masimo’s patented solutions in the Apple Watch’s built-in Workout and Heart Rate features. Apple disagreed, maintaining that the disputed patent had expired in 2022 and describes older patient-monitoring technology developed decades ago. The company plans to appeal.
This ruling, though, is only one piece of a larger legal puzzle. Masimo has for years accused Apple of unlawfully using pulse oximetry technologies, claims that previously led to a temporary halt in U.S. sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. In August, Apple was forced to modify the blood-oxygen algorithm for the Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 to navigate those restrictions. U.S. Customs approved the updated feature, but Masimo also filed suit over that decision, arguing the agency exceeded its authority by allowing sales without the rights holder’s consent.
The legal fight is ongoing, and the California verdict may mark only the start of a new phase in the Apple–Masimo clash—one that is already reshaping the smartwatch market and, by all indications, is far from over.