The Irvine company said US Customs and Border Protection approved the change Jan. 12.
Apple is removing a blood-oxygen feature from its latest smartwatches — the Series 9 and Ultra 2 — to get around a US ban stemming from a patent dispute with Masimo Corp.
The disclosure was made Monday by Irvine-based Masimo, which said that US Customs and Border Protection approved the change on Jan. 12. The agency “decided that Apple’s redesign falls outside the scope” of an import ban by the US International Trade Commission, signaling that the adjustment will let Apple keep its watches on the market.
Also see: How an email from an Irvine engineer to Tim Cook set Apple Watch saga in motion
The ITC had ruled in October that Apple’s devices violated Masimo patents related to blood-oxygen measurement. That led Apple to pause sales of the smartwatches just ahead of Christmas, though an interim stay allowed the company to bring the products back late last month.
