A federal jury in California has ordered Apple to pay medical device company Masimo $634 million after finding that the Apple Watch infringed one of Masimo’s blood oxygen monitoring patents. According to Reuters, jurors ruled that features tied to workout mode and heart rate alerts violated Masimo’s intellectual property.
Masimo called the outcome a major win for protecting its technology, saying it remains committed to defending its patents. Apple, however, said the verdict is “contrary to the facts” and confirmed it will appeal. The company pointed out that the patent in question expired in 2022 and described it as tied to older patient monitoring tech.
The long running dispute centers on pulse oximetry, the optical sensor method used to detect blood oxygen levels. Masimo has accused Apple of poaching key employees and using its patented technology in the Apple Watch without permission.
In 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission sided with Masimo and issued an import ban on Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen sensors. As a result, Apple stopped offering the feature on newer models in the U.S.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced a workaround: blood oxygen measurements are now calculated on the user’s iPhone instead of directly on the watch. Masimo argues this still violates the import restrictions and is currently suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection for allowing the modified devices into the country.
Meanwhile, Apple is asking an appeals court to overturn the import ban entirely.
The battle goes both ways. Apple countersued Masimo and won a symbolic $250 after a jury decided Masimo had violated Apple’s design patents. But for now, the far larger ruling favors Masimo, keeping the global fight over Apple Watch blood oxygen tech very much alive.