• Apple is strategically planning to remove the blood-oxygen feature from its latest smartwatches, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, in an effort to navigate a US ban on these devices in case an appeal proves unsuccessful. Masimo Corp., engaged in a patent dispute with Apple over the technology, revealed this move, indicating that the US Customs and Border Protection has already approved the plan on Jan. 12. The agency's decision suggests that the adjustment falls outside the scope of the import ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission (ITC), allowing Apple to keep its watches on the market.

• This decision comes after the ITC ruled in October that Apple's devices violated Masimo patents related to blood-oxygen measurement, prompting Apple to temporarily halt sales of the smartwatches just before Christmas. Although an interim stay allowed the products to return to the market late last month, Apple has been working on a software workaround to address the dispute. The company expects the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to rule on its motion for a longer stay during the entire appeal period, possibly lasting a year or more. Until then, the blood-oxygen feature remains available on newly sold Apple Watch units.