In a significant blow to the tech giant, Apple has been ordered to pay $634 million to Masimo, a medical technology company, after a federal jury found that Apple infringed on Masimo's patents related to blood oxygen monitoring technology in the Apple Watch. The verdict, delivered in a California court on Friday, November 14, 2025, marks a major development in the ongoing legal battle between the two companies.
The jury sided with Masimo, confirming that specific features within the Apple Watch, notably its workout mode and heart rate notifications, violated Masimo's patent rights. The infringed patent, U.S. Patent No. 10,433,776, covers low-power pulse oximeter technology designed for efficient blood oxygen level measurements without excessive battery drain. Although the patent expired in 2022, Masimo's case encompassed approximately 43 million Apple Watch units sold between 2020 and 2022 that incorporated the contested feature.
Masimo hailed the decision as a "significant win" in their efforts to protect their innovations and intellectual property. An Apple spokesperson, however, stated that the company "disagrees with the verdict and will appeal". Apple argued that the patent was based on outdated technology and that Masimo has repeatedly sued Apple over patents, most of which have been invalidated.
The dispute centers around the use of medical-grade monitoring technology in consumer wearables, specifically whether the Apple Watch qualifies as a "patient monitor" under Masimo's patent. Apple contested this designation, arguing that the term should apply only to continuous clinical monitoring devices, whereas the Apple Watch only triggers a high heart rate notification if the user is motionless for ten minutes. Masimo countered by presenting Apple's own documents referring to the Apple Watch as "the most used heart rate monitor in the world" and highlighting its 95% accuracy in detecting high heart rates at rest.
This legal battle is part of a broader, multi-front intellectual property dispute between Apple and Masimo, which includes allegations of Apple poaching Masimo employees to steal pulse oximetry innovations. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) previously blocked imports of certain Apple Watch models in 2023 after finding patent infringement, leading Apple to temporarily remove the blood oxygen monitoring feature. Apple later reintroduced an updated version of the technology after receiving approval from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in August 2025, which led to further legal challenges from Masimo.
The ITC has decided to launch a new proceeding to determine whether Apple's redesigned watches also infringe on Masimo's patents. Masimo has also sued Customs over the approval of the updated watches, while Apple is challenging the original 2023 import ban at a federal appeals court. The two companies have also faced off in other legal venues, including a trade-secret case that ended in a mistrial and a countersuit where Apple won a minimal $250 verdict against Masimo over design patents.
