Apple has filed a high-profile lawsuit in California against former Apple Watch engineer Chen Shi and Chinese smartphone maker OPPO, accusing them of orchestrating a calculated theft of trade secrets.
According to court documents, Shi worked at Apple from January 2020 to June 2025 as a Sensor System Architect, with access to confidential design files, internal specifications, and the product roadmap for Apple Watch health-sensing tech — including optical, temperature, and ECG sensors.
Apple alleges that while telling managers he was returning to China to care for his parents, Shi had already secured a role at OPPO.
In the weeks before his departure, he allegedly held dozens of one-on-one meetings with Apple Watch engineers to gather sensitive R&D details, downloaded 63 protected files to a USB drive, and even searched how to wipe his MacBook traces and hide file access.
The lawsuit claims Shi told OPPO executives he would “collect as much information as possible” before leaving Apple, specifically targeting heart rate sensing methods. Apple is seeking an injunction to block OPPO from using the data, along with damages and legal fees.
OPPO denies any wrongdoing, stating it has found “no evidence” linking Shi’s alleged actions to his work at the company and pledging to cooperate with the legal process.
Stay up to date with more news from the tech scene here at MyMobileTrend.
