When a company, like Apple, releases a product, like the Apple Watch, you expect them to sell it for a while. But unfortunately for Apple, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 won’t be on shelves for much longer.
This all stems from a long-running legal war over patent infringement between Apple and Masimo, a medical generation company. Masimo sued Apple in 2020 over 10 patents that the company believed it had infringed. Then, in January, a U. S. judgment found that Apple had infringed on one of those patents, notably a patent for a pulse oximeter to record blood oxygen levels. Apple has included a blood oxygen sensor in every Apple Watch since the Series 6 (except the SE), so it wasn’t clear how so far, the effects of this move could extend to Apple.
Following an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), however, the situation is now clear: Apple will stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 on its website starting Thursday, Dec. 21 and will pull the watches from its retail stores after Dec. 24. You can see Apple’s full statement to 9to5Mac below:
A presidential review period is underway in connection with an order from the U. S. International Trade Commission. A U. S. lawsuit related to a technical dispute over intellectual assets related to Apple Watch devices that contain the Blood Oxygen feature. Although the review period likely won’t end until Dec. 25, Apple is taking preemptive steps to comply if the resolution holds. This includes postponing sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in Apple. com starting December 21 and at Apple outlets after December 24.
Apple Groups work tirelessly to create products and facilities that provide users with state-of-the-art health, wellness, and protection features. Apple does not agree with this order and is looking for a number of legal and technical features to ensure that the Apple Watch is being held by customers.
If the order is confirmed, Apple will continue to take all steps to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to U. S. consumers as soon as possible.
Biden’s leadership has until Dec. 25 to veto the decision, if it chooses, but as things stand, the last two Apple Watches are rolling out of Apple stores.
If you want to buy one of those Apple Watches from Apple, you’ll need to do so right away. That said, third-party retail stores will be able to continue to promote their watch inventory, so they’ll most likely be available for a while after Apple’s set deadlines. However, the resolution blocks imports of those wearable devices, and since they are manufactured outside the United States, Apple will not be able to fill its inventory of watches. Once the outlets are sold to third parties, they disappear until this legal scenario is resolved.
It’s conceivable that Apple could avoid this scenario altogether and get back to normal: as Bloomberg reports, Apple is feverishly working on a software fix for the Apple Watch that would adjust how it measures blood oxygen levels and how watchOS presents those. data to the end user. However, two things are unclear here: Can Apple deliver this software update to consumers in time for this deadline? Furthermore, will this solution be enough to convince ITC or Biden management that the company is doing enough to address this situation? Masimo’s infringement allegations?
Either way, it’s a desirable development. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with the Series 9 and Ultra 2.
Jake Peterson is Lifehacker’s Senior Technology Editor. He has a BFA in Film & TV from NYU, where he specialized in writing. Jake has been helping people with their technology professionally since 2016, beginning as technical specialist at New York’s 5th Avenue Apple Store, then as a writer for the website Gadget Hacks. In that time, he wrote and edited thousands of news and how-to articles about iPhones and Androids, including reporting on live demos from product launches from Samsung and Google. In 2021, he moved to Lifehacker and covers everything from the best uses of AI in your daily life to which MacBook to buy. His team covers all things tech, including smartphones, computers, game consoles, and subscriptions. He lives in Connecticut.