As expected, Apple has updated its U.S. website to notify customers that the Blood Oxygen feature on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 is no longer included.

Apple has added a banner to the store webpages related for both devices, and removed all mention of the feature in its product comparison tool. The change was spotted by developer Dylan McDonald.

Apple has removed access to the Blood Oxygen feature in the U.S. to allow it to avoid a sales ban on the associated models. The ban was ordered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) after ruling that Apple violated Masimo’s pulse oximetry patents with the feature, which first appeared on the Series 6 model in 2020.

Apple Watch models sold by Apple will still include the Blood Oxygen app, but when a user opens it, they will be presented with an alert saying that the app is no longer available, and directed to the Health app on the iPhone.

The Blood Oxygen app still works on previously-sold Series 9 and Ultra 2 models. The feature also remains available on Apple Watch models sold outside the U.S., as the sales ban does not apply internationally. Apple strongly disagrees with the ITC’s decision, and its appeal is ongoing.

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