Apple Watch blood oxygen workaround arrives just in time

With the release of watchOS 11.6.1 and companion iOS 18.6.1, Apple managed to restore blood oxygen readings for U.S. owners of Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2.

The method is slightly less convenient, as it shifts processing data and displaying results to the iPhone, but it restores a capability that had been entirely removed since late 2023. The timing works in Apple’s favor.

That’s because Apple Watch Series 8, Ultra 1, and earlier owners who are on the fence about upgrading to Series 11 or Ultra 3 this fall have one less reason to wait.

Some of these customers have been reluctant to lose a feature, and the new workaround shows Apple is willing to act to preserve health tracking functions without caving to Masimo.

More broadly, Apple’s wearables business has faced headwinds. Industry data shows Apple Watch shipments declined about 19 percent year over year in 2024, according to Counterpoint Research.

For context, Apple released the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2023, but only released a new color option in 2024. Still, Apple Watch Series 10 delivered a larger display and thinner hardware redesign last year after three cycles with the previous design.

While the blood oxygen situation has only ever affected U.S. customers, upgrading but losing a feature has still been a concern, especially with the Apple Watch’s importance as a health and fitness tracker.

As of today, that concern is almost entirely addressed by Apple’s blood oxygen capture workaround. The move coming one month before the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 is ideal for that reason.

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