Apple on Thursday said some of its top smartwatch models are getting a redesigned blood oxygen sensing feature, sidelined for several years by a patent dispute.

Software updates will add the capability to an array of Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 Apple Watch models, according to the iPhone maker.

"This update was enabled by a recent US Customs ruling," Apple said in a blog post.

Apple temporarily halted US sales of its latest smartwatch models last January as part of a patent feud with health company Masimo.

Masimo, based in southern California, filed a complaint to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) which decided to halt imports of the Apple Watch models over a patented technology for detecting blood-oxygen levels.

Apple manufactures the vast majority of its products over

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