This week , however , we ’ve learned that it will be potential — indeed trivially easy , from the sound of it — for Apple to re - enable pulse oximetry on those very same watches when it gets effectual clearance to do so . This will be good news for those who ’ve bought Apple Watches over the past couple of workweek and were lament the exit of the marquee characteristic .
The news comes from the rational property word siteIPFray , which reported Tuesday on the tone ending of technical particular from the dispute between Apple and the Italian firm Masimo , which owns the disputed patents . As part of the investigating of the modify watches , it release out that Masimo jailbroke an iPhone and used it to re - start the blood - oxygen feature on one of the devices .
In other words , the limiting process did n’t take the remotion of the part used to assess blood atomic number 8 ; they ’re all still present in the watches sold since the forbiddance . Rather , according to IPFray , “ There is some hardware ‘ designation ’ in the newer Watches that tell the software in those Watches not to perform pulse oximetry although all of the necessary components are present . ” And if Masimo can re - enable those component by jailbreaking an iPhone , it will presumptively be vastly more straightforward for Apple itself to do this via a software update .
For now , of course , Apple would n’t presume to reverse the modification , because its legal entreaty is on-going . But if the society wins on ingathering ( which IPFray figure as a 30 percent or higher chance ) , you may bet that owner wo n’t have to waitress long before a software update appear and they line up themselves with a new characteristic on their wrists . And even if Apple loses the appealingness , it will still be able to re - start the feature when Masimo ’s patent expires in August 2028 . That ’s quite a foresighted wait , but possibly you ’ll be able to follow Masimo ’s playbook and do your own jailbreaking … not that we ’d urge anything like that .
We ’re expect to seeApple Watch Series 10 , Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3rd multiplication , runningwatchOS 11 , launch in September 2024 at the company’sGlowtime event(seehow to watch the September event ) . If you ’re in the food market for a new Apple Watch , see ourApple Watch purchasing template , round - up of thebest Apple Watch deal , and advice on whether you shouldbuy Apple Watch now or wait . You might also be concerned in what othernew Apple productsare do this class , and when is thenext Apple effect .
