DEAL Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Watch 7. Subscribe today and be the first to learn about One 7 beta!

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

News For You
News For You
Notifications

Apple removes blood oxygen monitoring from Watch Series 9, Ultra 2

Tech
By 

Last updated: January 19th, 2024 at 07:19 UTC+01:00

In an ongoing battle between Apple and Masimo, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has denied Apple’s request to extend the stay on the interim ban on the sales of the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 in the US. To bypass the decision, Apple started selling the two smartwatches without the blood oxygen saturation monitoring feature in the country on 18 January 2024 (via The Verge).

The two wearables that Apple has been selling since 18 January 2024, have the hardware to measure blood oxygen saturation but the company had disabled the feature from the software. You will also be able to see the Blood Oxygen icon in the applications list but when you click on it, these watches will notify you that “The Blood Oxygen app is no longer available. Learn more in the Health app on your iPhone.

Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 without blood oxygen monitoring will have different model numbers

According to Apple, the Watch Series 9 and the Watch Ultra 2 without the blood oxygen saturation monitoring feature will have part numbers ending with LW/A. The tech giant says that the latest change will not affect the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 sold before 18 January 2024 in the country, and the change will also not affect the two smartwatches that are on sale in regions outside of the United States.

Experts believe that it could take around one year for the fight to resolve. Until then, people buying the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 will be void of blood oxygen saturation monitoring. The lack of this feature could be a huge deal breaker for many people because it is one of the most important features of a smartwatch. It would be a shame to not have it on a smartwatch as expensive as the two models.

Tech AppleApple Watch Buy Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Scroll for more related content
News For You

You might also like

A slimmer Galaxy S25 could rival iPhone 17 Slim

A slimmer Galaxy S25 could rival iPhone 17 Slim

Several reports claim that Apple could shake up the iPhone 17 lineup next year by introducing a slimmer version of the iPhone. Following Apple's footsteps, Samsung could launch a slimmer version of the Galaxy S25 next year, at least according to some reports. This isn't the first time rumors of a slimmer Galaxy S25 version […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 18 hours ago
Super HDR images from Galaxy phones will be compatible with iPhones, Macs

Super HDR images from Galaxy phones will be compatible with iPhones, Macs

Earlier this year, Samsung introduced the capability to capture Super HDR photos using the Galaxy S24 series. While this new format works on all high-end phones and tablets that come pre-installed with Android 14, it wasn't compatible with Apple's devices. That is changing now, as Apple has released compatibility with the ISO 21496-1 standard. Apple's […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 2 days ago
Apple AI is now live, doesn’t look like a threat to Samsung Galaxy AI

Apple AI is now live, doesn’t look like a threat to Samsung Galaxy AI

Samsung was the first OEM to really push the concept of generative AI tools into the mainstream. It started at the beginning of the year with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series featuring the Galaxy AI suite, and the saga continued throughout the year without much competition standing in Samsung's way. Today, that should […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 3 days ago
Android 16 could copy Apple’s Dynamic Island notifications

Android 16 could copy Apple’s Dynamic Island notifications

Apple, Google, and Samsung regularly get UI design inspirations from each other. After Samsung introduced punch-hole notifications (notification animation originating from the front camera) with the Galaxy S10, Apple brought Dynamic Island notifications with the iPhone 14. Now, Google could be trying to bring Dynamic Island-like notifications with Android 16. Android 16 could get Apple's […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 4 days ago
Samsung to supply OLED screens for upcoming iPhone SE

Samsung to supply OLED screens for upcoming iPhone SE

Samsung, the world's biggest maker of OLED panels, will reportedly supply OLED panels for the next-generation iPhone SE (2024). The South Korean firm has been supplying OLED panels to Apple since the launch of the iPhone X, and it will continue to do so even though its supply share has decreased over the years. Some […]

  • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
  • 1 week ago
New insight tells different story of Samsung-Apple rivalry in Q3

New insight tells different story of Samsung-Apple rivalry in Q3

Yesterday, we covered some market data for the global smartphone segment in Q3 and reported that, according to those numbers, Samsung and Apple held roughly the same market share in the third quarter of 2024. However, different analysts use different methodologies, and today, fresh insight from Counterpoint Research paints a new picture. While Canalys data […]

  • By Mihai Matei
  • 2 weeks ago