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# Apple Watch blood-oxygen removal in the US, via @markgurman — confirmed

@markgurman said on Jan 15, 2024 that modified watches were heading to US stores. Apple began selling them on Jan 18.

Published 09 Nov 2026, 09:08 UTC · Leaked on 15 Jan 2024, 18:08 UTC

Leaked on 15 January 2024

![Evidence tray card: Apple Watch blood-oxygen removal in the US, via @markgurman — confirmed](https://leakly.com/assets/og/apple-watch-blood-oxygen-removal.png)

On Jan 15, 2024, @markgurman posted that Apple had begun shipping modified Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 units to US retail stores, and that Masimo said US Customs had approved a software change removing blood oxygen.

The Verge reported the same day that the watches would drop blood oxygen features to get around the import ban. On Jan 18, Apple started selling the Series 9 and Ultra 2 without the feature; units sold in the US from that date carry part numbers ending in LW/A, and an Apple spokesperson sent a statement.

Confirmed. The change applied to watches sold in the US by Apple on or after Jan 18, 2024.

[Confirmed]

## What happened later

Confirmed: Apple sold US watches without blood oxygen from Jan 18, 2024.

## Sources & captured post

> **Mark Gurman** @markgurman
>
> NEW: Apple has begun shipping modified Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 watches to retail stores in the US. Today, Masimo says the US Customs agency has approved an Apple software change that \*removes\* blood oxygen from the devices. https://t.co/YjnN7nAFtH
>
> 546 likes · 63 reposts · counts as of 09 Nov 2026, 07:12 UTC
>
> [View the post on X](https://x.com/markgurman/status/1746957486807236929) · not in our leaker index

### Original source & corroborating coverage

* [Original X post by @markgurman](https://x.com/markgurman/status/1746957486807236929)
* [Bloomberg — Apple (AAPL) to Remove Blood-Oxygen Tool to Avoid US Ban, Masimo Says](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-15/apple-to-remove-watch-blood-oxygen-app-to-avoid-ban-masimo-says)
* [The Verge — Apple Watch drops blood oxygen features to dodge the import ban](https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/15/24034324/apple-watch-ban-us-customs-decision)
* [The Verge — Apple’s selling Ultra 2 and Series 9 Watches without the banned blood oxygen features](https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/17/24042395/apple-watch-ultra-2-series-9-ban-blood-oxygen-stores)

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