Does the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 include an Oxygen Sensor?

Truthfully, the blood oxygen feature is mostly irrelevant. Why? If you have a condition that requires monitoring, Apple Watch is not FDA approved. You can buy an FDA approved model, and carry it in your pocket or purse, for under $20 on Amazon. If you don’t have a condition that requires monitoring, it’s just a convenience (gimmick?) and shouldn’t really affect your purchasing decision. If it has the sensor, it could in theory, be enable by Apple a time far in the future.

Here’s the real answer. From the horse’s mouth. Sensor is there. Software disabled due to IP court decision. Apple is appealing. All about $.

No info re FDA because nobody cares. Regular people use their common sense. I have a low SpO2 condition, and watch does what it is supposed to do. Monitor it to highlight any drifts in data. 1-3% here or there is in the noise. Same for any retail version. I doubt a $20 Chinese product is better or more accurate. FDA approval is also all about $. Believe me, if you’re below 90% you don’t need a watch to tell you. You’ll feel like a fish out of water.

About Blood Oxygen availability - Apple Support

answer also provided above by Sherman, but only 4 upvotes. I don’t get it.

This explains. It applies to all the newly announced Apple Watches.

About Blood Oxygen availability - Apple Support

just disabled, it would be a huge production cost inc for apple to produce 2 models in parallel 1 for USA and one for the rest of the world only because of a maybe temp legal ban in the USA

I disagree as well. I have the Watch 7, which still has the oxygen sensor, and have found it to be quite accurate and useful during workouts. I have lung issues so monitoring my oxygen levels is important to me, especially during exercise, and I would rather use the watch than another device. I would love to upgrade my watch but will wait to do so until Apple resolves the patent issues related to this feature.

Unknown, as the Apple Watch has not shipped yet.

From a manufacturing perspective, it would be easier to include the sensor, and disable it in software for the U.S. market.

Also including the sensor would allow Apple to enable it sometime in the future should the lawyers ever resolve the patent issues (do not hold your breath).

However, just be cause Apple got away with using a software fix for the Series 9, and Ultra II, does not mean the courts will allow it for the Series 10. We can only hope, against some future resolution to the patent issues.

Zachyy wrote:

All Apple Watch units sold by Apple in the United States starting January 18, 2024 will not have the Blood Oxygen measure feature.

The question was not about the feature. It was about the sensor - the capability to implement the feature.

John22 wrote:

Thanks for all of the comments. I called Apple sales today and spoke to a human. She indicated that the new Series 10 will have the sensor but that the feature will be disabled for now. Same for the Ultra 2.

Thanks for posting back with the results of your research!

I sort of understand why people care about the O2 sensor. It's an "I want all the cool features!" feeling. I know I had a bit of a twinge when I hit the button on the trade-in of my 7 for the 10. But I got over it.

I'm looking forward to both the sleep apnea and the hearing aid features, having reached that stage in life where they are potential issues. But should they not happen or not happen for months, I'll get over that, too.

The oximeter is extremely important for me who has a lung disease if I’m away from home and cannot readily check my blood oxygen I rely on my Apple Watch and my Apple Watch is always 100% accurate to the hospitals equipment. I would upgrade my watch if the watch 10 activate that sensor.

Apple is under a US patent infringement ruling that precludes Apple selling Apple Watches imported into the US after January 18, 2024.

The patents expire in 2028, but hypothetically either party could agree to settle the current infringement issues. Apple has also appealed the judgment and could overturn the lower court’s ruling.

Not my thoughts are not meaningless. I stated sleep apnea app by Apple is ineffective if oxygen saturation cannot used . I also stated that they were required to disable it i.e. the lawsuit, so it is a parent. I understand there was a lawsuit. I just was befuddled by the fact that Apple would introduce a sleep apnea application after they were required to turn off oxygen saturation measurement.

zzmd wrote:

Not my thoughts are not meaningless. I stated sleep apnea app by Apple is ineffective if oxygen saturation cannot used . I also stated that they were required to disable it i.e. the lawsuit, so it is a parent. I understand there was a lawsuit. I just was befuddled by the fact that Apple would introduce a sleep apnea application after they were required to turn off oxygen saturation measurement.

I agree. Your thoughts are not meaningless. But keep in mind that O2 and sleep apnea are two different things. I went to a sleep clinic twice to be tested for sleep apnea (which I definitely have). Both times I was hooked up to a lot of sensors but they measured how many times I was awake and stopped breathing (respiration, not oxygen). Neither time, when I was given the results, was oxygen measured. It was not until quite a few years later that my lungs developed problems and they ordered different tests that measured my nightly O2 readings - while using my cpap. Those reading showed low O2 levels and the docs added O2 to my cpap. Currently, my Apple Watch 9 - which was purchased before the lawsuit and still offers oxygen readings - offers good info to me and to my docs. I use the Auto Sleep watch app. It works in conjunction with the watch's O2 readings. Together, they take O2 readings periodically throughout the night. The morning report shows a lot of detail, including respiration rates and average Sleep SpO2 for the night. It shows not only the range, but also the O2 high and low measurements. I bring my iPhone when I go to see my pulmonologist. He reviews the reports and makes any necessary adjustments to my oxygen accordingly. He says that in his experience, Apple has really stepped up with the accuracy of their oxygen reports.

As the others have said, it's a tool. But in my opinion and in the opinion of my doctor, the readings are accurate enough to use as good tools. Use the tool, but do not make it your only tool. That's what works for me. Your doctor would be the best person to go to with any additional questions.

I cannot speak for Apple. But it certainly seems to me that the newly announced Apple Watches would have no less sensor capability than the Apple Watch 9, which certainly contains the required hardware.