Apple Ordered to Pay Masimo $634M for Patent Infringement

A federal jury ruled that Apple must pay Masimo $634 million for infringing blood oxygen technology patents used in Apple Watch features. Apple says it will appeal the verdict.

A federal jury in California has ruled that Apple must pay $634 million to medical device maker Masimo after determining that the Apple Watch infringed on a patent related to blood oxygen-monitoring technology.

According to Reuters, the jury found that features including Workout Mode and heart rate notifications in the Apple Watch violated Masimo’s intellectual property.

Masimo celebrated the ruling, calling it a major victory in its long-running battle to protect its patented pulse-oximetry technology.

“This is a significant win in our ongoing efforts to protect our innovations and intellectual property,” Masimo said in a statement.
“We remain committed to defending our IP rights moving forward.“

Apple Pushes Back: ‘The Verdict Is Contrary to the Facts’

Apple strongly disagreed with the decision and announced plans to appeal.

In a statement, the company said the verdict misrepresents the facts of the case:

“Masimo is a medical device company that does not sell any products to consumers… They’ve sued Apple over 25 patents in multiple courts, most of which were found invalid. The single patent in this case expired in 2022.“

Apple argues that the disputed patent covers decades-old patient-monitoring techniques and should not apply to modern consumer wearables.

A Long-Running Legal War Over Pulse Oximetry

This verdict is part of a much larger dispute between Apple and Masimo centered around pulse oximetry, the optical technology used to measure blood oxygen levels through the skin.

Key points from the dispute:

Masimo accused Apple of poaching employees, including its chief medical officer
Apple allegedly used proprietary Masimo technology in the Apple Watch
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) sided with Masimo in 2023
The ITC issued an import ban on Apple Watches with blood oxygen sensors

This ban forced Apple to quietly remove blood-oxygen features from recent Apple Watch shipments in several markets.

Apple Masimo patent infringement — Apple Masimo Smartwatches

Apple’s Workaround – and New Legal Battles

In August, Apple introduced a revised blood-oxygen feature intended to bypass the import ban:

The sensor measures data on the Apple Watch
But the calculations are done on the paired iPhone, not on the watch itself

Masimo is now suing U.S. Customs and Border Protection, arguing customs officials wrongfully approved the import of watches using Apple’s workaround.

Meanwhile, Apple is asking an appeals court to overturn the ITC ban entirely.

Masimo vs. Apple: Countersuits and Mixed Results

The legal fight has gone both ways:

Apple countersued Masimo for infringing its design patents
A separate jury agreed, but awarded Apple only $250, the statutory minimum

Despite that symbolic win, the latest $634M judgment is a major blow to Apple as it continues its push into health-focused wearables.

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What Happens Next?

The case is far from over.

Apple’s appeal could delay payment, reduce the damages, or overturn the verdict altogether. Meanwhile, Masimo continues to fight on multiple fronts to block Apple from selling watches that use any form of blood-oxygen technology.

For now, the ruling underscores:

The growing tension between consumer tech giants and medical device companies
The high-stakes battle over health-monitoring innovation
The ongoing regulatory challenges around advanced wearable sensors

As both companies continue to appeal and counter-appeal, the future of blood-oxygen features on the Apple Watch remains uncertain.

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