Patent Dispute Forces Apple to Halt Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 & Ultra 2 in the US
Apple will no longer be allowed to sell its latest Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatches and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US starting December 21st, and the last time Apple Store pickup or delivery is allowed is December 24th, Christmas Eve. .
As 9to5Mac reports, this move is in line with an ITC ruling stemming from Apple’s patent dispute with Masimo, which makes medical devices such as pulse oximeters used to measure blood oxygen levels. The dispute stems from Apple’s alleged infringement of Masimo’s blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor technology.
It is worth noting that the third Apple Watch SE 2 in this year’s lineup and the budget Apple Watch are exempt from this judgment, as it does not have a sensor for measuring blood oxygen. Additionally, it should be noted that both the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and series can still be sold outside of the US, meaning consumers can still buy them in places like India, the UK and other regions.
In a statement to 9toMac, Apple notes that the US International Trade Commission’s “presidential review period” is ongoing. “Although the review period does not end until December 25th, Apple is taking proactive steps to comply with the ruling. This includes suspending sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Apple.com beginning December 21st and at Apple retail locations after December 24th,” 9to5Mac quoted Apple.
Apple further added: “Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing various legal and technical options to ensure that the Apple Watch is available to customers.”
In addition, Apple also admitted that if this order remains in place and if the ban is not blocked by the Biden administration, Apple will take “every step” to make both watches available to US customers soon.
It remains to be seen how Apple will proceed given the recent sales ban on both Apple Watch models that came at the start of the holiday season. It’s also worth considering the potential impact of this ban on the rumored redesign of the Apple Watch that may be currently in development.
