The legal battle between Apple And Masimoa Californian company specializing in medical technologies, is enriched with a new chapter: a US federal jury has ruled that the Cupertino giant will have to compensate the rival company with 643 million dollars For patent infringement related to blood oxygen measurement on Apple Watches.
A decision that comes after years of tensions, cross accusations and commercial limitations, and which once again places the pulse oximetera function that Apple has introduced as a strong point of the most recent generations of its smartwatches.
The reactions of Apple and Masimo
The ruling did not leave Apple indifferent, which immediately announced its intention to submit appeal. A company spokesperson finalized the verdict “contrary to the facts”reiterating that Masimo has filed more than 25 patent protection requests against Apple in the last six years, often deemed unfounded or even invalid.
Cupertino also points out that the only patent actually at the center of the proceedings expired in 2022 and concerns a method of clinical monitoring dating back decades, far away – claims Apple – from modern technologies used on wearable devices.
On the other side of the fence, Masimo rejoices. In a statement, the company calls this outcome “an essential victory” for the protection of its innovative solutions and the entire intellectual property ecosystem. Masimo insists on one point: protecting its patents means defending innovations that have a direct impact on the well-being of patients, and this makes it essential to oppose any unauthorized use.
The consequences on the Apple Watch market
The effects of the dispute have not remained confined to the courtrooms. The patent controversy had already determined the banned from sale in the United Statesin December 2023, Apple Watch models equipped with the oximetry function. The blockade was then suspended for a short period, but returned in full force from January 18, 2024.
To avoid completely withdrawing the products from the US market, Apple immediately introduced a software modification which deactivated the offending function. However, the buffer solution could not be definitive.
After more than a year and a half of uncertainty, inAugust 2025Apple has implemented a new system: blood oxygenation data, but it is processed and displayed directly on theiPhone connected. A move that proved effective: US customs regulators deemed it to comply with the ban’s constraints.
A decision that, however, Masimo did not like at all. In fact, the company filed a new legal action in the summer cancel Customs approval and again block the marketing of Apple Watches equipped with a pulse oximeter, even in the “indirect” version. A ruling has not yet been received for this further case.
