Apple Watch pulse oximeter ban detailed in published documents

Apple Watch Series 9 can't be sold with the blood pulse oximeter enabled

When an import ban against the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 began in January, little was known about the ban's scope or Apple's response. Apple did manage to work around the ban by disabling the blood pulse oximeter in software, but the permanence of the solution remained unknown.

A quiet update to the US Customs and Border Protection website provided the official order documentation that explained some of the specifics surrounding the ban and Apple's solution.

Since Apple disabled the blood pulse oximeter via software, it can be reactivated via an update at a later date. The Customs order details how Masimo argued Apple's solution wasn't good enough because they managed to reactivate the feature via a jailbroken iPhone.

Customs didn't accept that as a viable reason to stop the workaround since it requires the user altering the original system a great deal. However, Masimo's protests and jailbreaking proves that Apple can reverse the software change.

It also revealed that the blood pulse oximeter is disabled via a "designation" in the software. Apple can remove that designation, and everything works as it did before.

Apple won't be able to remove the designation until it is victorious with an appeal or until the violated patents expire in August 2028. Appeals are in progress, but given the US justice system's track record, it could be some time before any resolution is met.

The documents were first discovered by ip fray.