Feeling the drama in the wearable world? 💥 On November 14, 2025, a federal jury in California ruled that Apple must pay medical-monitoring tech company Masimo $634 million for infringing a key patent on blood-oxygen reading technology.
The jury agreed that the Apple Watch's workout mode and heart rate notifications stepped on Masimo’s patented territory, paving the way for this hefty price tag.
Apple immediately said it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal, while Masimo hailed it as a major win to protect its innovations. 🎉
This California ruling is just one chapter in a larger saga between the Irvine, California-based firm and Apple. Masimo has accused Apple of hiring away its talent and swiping its pulse-oximetry tech for use in Apple Watches.
Back in 2023, a U.S. trade tribunal blocked imports of Apple’s Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, finding they infringed Masimo's patents. Apple removed the blood-oxygen feature to dodge the ban and then reintroduced an updated version in August 2025 after approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Meanwhile, the U.S. International Trade Commission is launching a new proceeding to decide if Apple’s revamped watches should face another ban. Masimo has also sued Customs over the issue, and Apple is fighting the import ban in federal appeals court.
Masimo’s previous trade-secret lawsuit against Apple ended in a mistrial in 2023, and Apple scored a tiny $250 win in a Delaware case last year over design patent claims. Clearly, the tech world’s biggest names aren’t afraid of a courtroom slugfest. 🥊⌚
Reference(s):
U.S. jury says Apple must pay Masimo $634m in smartwatch patent case
cgtn.com
