Apple Halts Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the States

Effective from 3 p.m. Eastern Time on December 21, Apple will halt the sale of two smartwatch models, namely the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, within the United States.

This decision comes as a result of Apple's ongoing patent dispute with medical device company Masimo. In October 2013, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that two Apple Watch models infringed on Masimo's blood oxygen sensor patents. Consequently, Apple was required to "cease and desist" from importing and selling Apple Watches equipped with blood oxygen detection features.

Masimo initially filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020, claiming that the Apple Watch violated 10 patents and accused the tech giant of hiring key personnel and allegedly stealing trade secrets. In 2021, Masimo filed another lawsuit seeking a ban on the sale of the Apple Watch Series 6, citing infringement of five patents related to blood oxygen measurement technology.

In response, Apple filed a countersuit against Masimo, alleging that Masimo's W1 series of smartwatches infringed on multiple Apple patents. Apple argued that during the previous legal battle, Masimo had closely examined Apple's intellectual property, obtaining confidential information.

The case is still ongoing and must undergo a 60-day presidential review under the Biden administration before reaching a final conclusion. The deadline for this review is December 25. Consequently, Apple was compelled to abide by the ITC's decision to halt sales of the two watches until the final outcome of the case.

During this process, President Biden has the authority to veto the ruling, although such action has not yet been taken. Apple's announcement today regarding the halt in sales is a precautionary measure to comply with the ITC's decision in anticipation of the expiration of the presidential review period on December 25.

Apple clarified that the ITC's ban solely affects the sale of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, as these models include blood oxygen monitoring capabilities. The Apple Watch SE, which does not feature this sensor, remains unaffected and will continue to be sold.

It is important to note that the ITC's ban exclusively applies to new sales of the affected Apple Watch models.