Apple has secured a significant legal victory against health tech firm AliveCor in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On January 8, 2026, the court dismissed AliveCor's antitrust claims, which alleged that Apple maintained a monopoly over the Apple Watch's heart rate monitoring technology. This ruling marks the end of a multi-year legal dispute regarding the smartwatch's sensor capabilities.

The decision follows a previous ruling where AliveCor's patents were invalidated, which had previously forced Apple to temporarily remove its atrial fibrillation detection feature from some Apple Watch models in the United States. This legal win solidifies Apple's control over its proprietary health ecosystem and sets a precedent for how tech giants can integrate medical-grade sensors into consumer wearables without violating antitrust laws. The outcome ensures the continued availability of the Apple Watch's advanced health monitoring features.