iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 are here: Available for iPhone and Apple Watch
As expected, the iPhone manufacturer published operating system updates for cell phones and computer watches on Friday night. The issue is a patent dispute.
iPhone and Apple Watch: Update for both devices.
(Image: Apple)
Interim update for iOS and watchOS: The new operating system versions iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 have been available for download on iPhones and Apple Watch devices since yesterday evening. The two updates had already been announced by Apple on Thursday afternoon, as they have a special significance: they reactivate a function that had been deactivated for a long time, albeit to a limited extent.
A very special update
This concerns the blood oxygen measurement feature (pulse oximetry), which Apple has been offering since the Apple Watch Series 6 from 2020 but has been blocked on computer watches intended for the US market since the beginning of 2024. The reason for this is a long-running legal dispute with the medical technology manufacturer Masimo, which led to the US International Trade Commission (US ITC) issuing an import ban at the end of 2023. With the updates, Apple has now found a way to circumvent this.
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The trick: the calculation of the values, the raw data of which is recorded by the Apple Watch, will take place on the iPhone paired with the computer watch and can only be read there. This appears to be enough to circumvent Masimo's patents. Both are now technically implemented with iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1. Watch models from Series 9, Series 10, and the Ultra 2 are covered, i.e., all models with an import ban or technical block.
What's in iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1
Apple only makes one statement about both updates: that the update enables a new "Blood Oxygen Experience" for US users. The instruction leaflet mentions the affected models and the fact that the calculation takes place on the iPhone and the result ends up in the Health app. That's it. The two updates do not appear to contain any other new features that Apple is openly communicating.
In terms of security patches, iOS 18.6.1 and watchOS 11.6.1 are also blank: according to Apple, both patch packages contain “no published CVE entries,” i.e., security-relevant changes. Both updates are available from the iPhone XS and Apple Watch Series 6, respectively. Installation is also recommended for non-US users, apparently so that all devices are at the same level. On an iPhone 15 Pro, the update was only just under 470 MB in size.
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