A redesigned blood oxygen measurement capability will arrive Thursday for Apple Watch models that lost access to the feature due to a patent dispute.
Apple found a workaround that involves the Apple Watch testing the user’s blood oxygenation level, then displaying the reading on a paired iPhone.
Update: Apple released iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 with the promised workaround.
When we polled Cult of Mac readers on what feature they want most in Apple Watch Series 11, the answer came through loud and clear: Bring back the Blood Oxygen app! None of the rumored upcoming Apple Watch features drew more attention than one that went missing last year over a patent dispute.
Unfortunately, the Blood Oxygen app remains tied up in U.S. courts. Apple needs to work out the problem, and soon. The missing Blood Oxygen app is undoubtedly hurting Apple Watch sales and angering customers. And it’s only going to get worse when the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 launch next month — assuming Apple doesn’t come up with a workaround.
Ready to bag an Apple Watch with a working blood-oxygen sensor/app? While you can often find good deals on Amazon, the company’s bargain site, Woot, often does it one better. A good example would be Woot’s current deal on refurbished Apple Watch Series 8. You can get the GPS-only model for 34% off, at $264.99 — and it even comes with a one-year Apple warranty.
Amazon’s deals on that model fall a little short of Woot’s mark, but the parent site does offer one incredible deal — a GPS and cellular Apple Watch 8 at 46% off.
See how five Amazon and Woot deals on Apple Watch 8 compare below.
Some Apple Watch owners might be hesitant about installing the just-released watchOS 10.3 update over concerns that it’ll remove the controversial Blood Oxygen application. But there’s no reason for concern — it does not.
We tested multiple devices to be extra sure.
Apple lost a court appeal Wednesday, which means Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 might once again get pulled from U.S. store shelves. The court agrees with previous rulings that the wearables are in violation of a patent held by a medical-device company.
But Apple has a workaround: it’s almost certainly going to remove the application at the center of the patent dispute.
Apple’s solution to evading a sales and import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 is apparently a simple one: It is reportedly prepared to delete the application at the heart of the patent dispute that caused the ban.
But this will only be necessary if Apple loses its next legal appeal, which will be made soon.
The ban on Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 sales in the United States stands, after the Biden administration confirmed Tuesday it won’t overturn it, but a federal court paused it temporarily Wednesday after Apple’s request for appeal.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit granted a temporary stay until January 10 — so Apple can resume selling the wearables, at least for a short time.
Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple’s website will stop on December 21. So Wednesday is the last day to purchase these wearables from Apple.com.
Apple retail stores will continue to sell them until December 24, but then those also will halt because of a patent dispute over an important feature in the devices. Apple, which previously appealed the U.S. International Trade Commission’s ruling on the matter, asked for a stay on the ban on U.S. imports and sales of the smartwatches. But in a Wednesday filing, the ITC denied Apple’s request (.pdf).
Apple will temporarily halt sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 starting December 21. This is the result of a decision made by the International Trade Commission that the wearables infringe on patents held by two medical device-makers.
Apple argues that the companies are “patent trolls,” but it’s not that simple. And the question now is whether Apple will pay to license the patents, or if it will continue to fight in court.
Six months after its launch, people are still griping about Apple Watch Series 7. Even our own Lewis and Erfon recently agreed on The CultCast that Series 7 wasn’t worth the upgrade.
Many have moaned that it lacks new features, with some even suggesting it was a last-minute rush-job on Cupertino’s part. Personally, I don’t believe a word of it. I love my Series 7 and I think the haters have got it all wrong. Here’s why.
The blood oxygen sensor featured in Apple Watch Series 6 and 7 is “not intended for medical use,” Apple says. That seems odd, considering that low blood oxygen is a serious medical condition. If the watch’s monitor is not for medical use, then what exactly is it for?
In this post, we’ll look at what blood oxygen is, how Apple Watch measures it, how the device compares to medical-grade alternatives, and what you can actually use it for.
Rumors that Apple Watch 7 would include be able to sense the wearer’s blood glucose didn’t pan out. But Apple is reportedly collaborating with a pair of Asian companies to add non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the 2022 model.
This would add to the already lengthy list of health-monitoring features available in Apple’s current wearable.
Since Apple Watch gets a hardware update like clockwork every fall, it’s a safe bet we’ll see a Series 7 model next month alongside the iPhone 13. There are plenty of rumors about what to expect, including a better display and a new flat-edged design, both of which sound great to me.
But I’m less keen on the prospect that Apple Watch Series 7 might come with additional health sensors. Here’s why.
Almost all the reviews of the Apple Watch Series 6 say the same thing: Yeah, it’s great, but it’s an incremental upgrade, and if you already have a Series 5, skip the upgrade.
That’s sage advice, I guess, especially in the middle of a crushing pandemic that’s ruined the economy, left millions unemployed, and has lots of people thinking carefully about their expenses.
But I say stuff it!
If you have the money, run out and buy the latest Apple Watch. It’s frickin’ amazing! It blows my mind that you can have a mini-iPhone strapped to your wrist that can make phone calls, pay for groceries, give directions, monitor your blood and heart, and so, so much more. It’s a technological marvel, my favorite gadget — and it could possibly save my life.