Apple Watches sold in the U. S. U. S. companies would likely prevent them from being sold with blood oxygen measurement features, according to reports that the removal of the feature is Apple’s reaction to its ongoing lawsuit with the Masimo company. But has this feature ever been very useful in the first place?? Probably not.
Apple had already suspended final sales of watches with blood oxygen functions at the end of 2023. Pulse oximetry, as the generation is called, measures the oxygen saturation of the blood. If you’ve ever used a clip-on pulse oximeter, the Apple Watch (or one of the other smart devices with similar features) is intended to do the same thing in a more convenient format.
If you already own a Series 6 or later watch that measures blood oxygen, it will still have the same characteristics. So, features won’t be revoked in an update, as far as we know. Only long-term sales of new watches will be made. Be affected.
Apple is still selling watches with the blood oxygen functionality, although it’s unclear whether or how soon they will be pulled from the market. If you really want an Apple watch with a blood oxygen sensor, perhaps you should buy it now.
The demand is expressly to the U. S. It does not directly affect sales in other countries. Masimo, a manufacturer of pulse oximeters, sued Apple in 2020 for allegedly stealing its trade secrets. Finally, the U. S. International Trade Commission. sided with Masimo and ruled that Apple may no longer import watches with this feature.
That’s what led Apple to suspend sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in December. Soon after, another court ruling allowed the company to resell the watches while the lawsuit was ongoing. In the most recent development, Apple said it would redesign its watches to remove blood oxygen features, and the courts agreed that the redesigned watches can simply be imported (Apple hasn’t clarified whether the redesign involves cutting off the sensors or simply disabling the feature in the software).
But the trial is not over. According to the AP, Apple plans to continue to seek resolution and ask to be able to continue promoting oxygen-sensing watches in this process. This may mean that watches that stumble over blood oxygen will remain on shelves for a few more years, if Apple has its way.
Wearables companies scrambled to add blood oxygen sensing to their products after pulse oximeters became popular due to the COVID pandemic. But despite sounding fancy—another sensor is always good, right?—users haven’t gotten much actionable benefit from them.
Here’s a casual investigation by two people: Jake Peterson, generation editor at Lifehacker, told me that he has the blood oxygen detection feature on his Apple Watch, but he “doesn’t use it much. “As a fitness editor, I have another wearable device that detects oxygen in my blood (a third-generation Oura Ring) and I keep that feature turned off in the ring settings. The feature is rarely useful enough to justify its increased battery drain.
In short, while there are Apple Watch users who liked this feature and will be disappointed if it disappears, I don’t think most of us will miss it. Wearable devices are unlikely to be as accurate as hospital-style pulse oximeters, and watches provide little to no guidance on what you deserve to do with the data.
A 2023 study on the accuracy of smartwatch blood oxygen sensors found that the Apple Watch tested (a Series 7) was more accurate than its competition and that skin tone did not appear to be accurate, so It’s good news. But the study also notes that Pulse oximeters tend to be less accurate when we’re moving or when skin perfusion is low (which includes times when actual blood oxygen is less than 90%). These limitations may simply mean that you don’t get a truly accurate measurement. reading at times when it would be most useful.
Apple itself notes that readings are more accurate if you can take them while sitting, with your arm extended in front of you, your watch pointing up, and your hand loose. They also come with commands to adjust the watch band for further reading. Automatic background readings are possible, but unlikely to be performed under those precise conditions.
Aside from accuracy, the other big question is what do you do with that data?Cardiologist Nauman Mushtaq told CNET, “To be honest, I don’t think it does anything that’s clinically meaningful to the average person. “
This is where blood oxygen measurements differ from other data provided through a smartwatch. Your training center’s pace, for example, can tell you whether you’ve done as intense a workout as you planned, and your aerobic fitness readings can give you a measure of progress as your fitness and core endurance improve. These measurements may not be as accurate or useful as we hope, but they can still provide guidance since we know what to do with them.
But oxygen in the blood is not like that. If you see an oddly low number, see a doctor to determine if something is wrong; And either way, they’re unlikely to use the insights of a smartwatch to calculate it. If you think you might have sleep apnea, for example, you can get tested without needing to first check your blood oxygen on a smartwatch. And if your blood oxygen values seem high while you’re not feeling well, the Our values shouldn’t stop you from seeing a doctor.
Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s lead health writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has written two books, and is a qualified coach. He has been writing about health, fitness, and science for over a decade and can weigh 225 pounds.