iPhone 16 event: This 4-year old Apple Watch feature will not work on Apple Watch Series 10 in the US, here’s why

Apple launched the Watch Series 10 along with the latest iPhone 16 series at the recent “Its Glowtime” event. During the launch, the company talked about multiple new health-related features for the Apple Watch but missed out on one feature that has been available since the Watch Series 6. The blood oxygen feature will not be available on Apple Watch Series 10 models in the US.However, this Apple Watch health feature will be accessible to users in other markets like India.

The absence of the blood oxygen feature on the Apple Watch Series 10 is a result of an ongoing patent dispute with medical device company Masimo. Apple was also forced to disable the feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 last year.
Apple has been actively defending against Masimo's lawsuit. In January, the company successfully obtained a similar ban on Masimo's Freedom health watch in response to the previous ban on its products.

Apple Watch Series 10 is the slimmest as well as the fastest charging Apple Watch ever. The company claimed that the new Apple Watch can get 80% battery within 30 mins of charging. This new model also comes with multiple new health features.
The latest model will remind users to take their medications and will also alert them in loud environments (when sound levels hit 90 dB) that can impact their hearing. The Apple Watch Series 10 will even notify users when their heart shows signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) or irregular heartbeats.
For sleep tracking, the Watch Series 10 can measure wrist temperature to predict the next ovulation cycles as well as identify changes in user’s daily health status with the new Vitals app. The watch can also determine how much time users spent in each sleep stage and can even detect Sleep Apnea. This is a condition when breathing stops repeatedly and causes disruption.
It’s important to note that other features that Apple announced during the launch of Watch Series 10, including Sleep Apnea will be available for users in 150+ countries, including the US. The Sleep Apnea feature will be available for Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 models as well.