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Jury Awards Masimo $634 Million as ITC Reopens Probe Into Apple Watch Blood‑Oxygen Redesign

The outcome now intersects with a fresh ITC review that could reinstate an import ban on Apple’s iPhone‑dependent workaround within six months.

Overview

  • A federal jury in California found Apple infringed a Masimo patent tied to blood‑oxygen technology, citing evidence including workout mode and high heart rate notifications.
  • The verdict applies to about 43 million Apple Watch units sold from 2020 to 2022, and Apple says it will appeal, noting the patent expired in 2022.
  • The U.S. International Trade Commission has instituted a combined modification and enforcement proceeding focused on Apple’s August 2025 implementation that shifts results to a paired iPhone.
  • The review will examine whether Apple causes infringement by selling a watch that performs the disputed functions once paired with an iPhone, with a target decision in roughly six months.
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection previously cleared imports of the redesign, which Masimo is challenging in a separate lawsuit, after a 2023 ITC ruling prompted Apple to disable the feature in U.S. models.