Apple has made the decision to halt sales of its Series 9 smartwatch, following a recent ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) amidst a patent dispute with Masimo, a California-based medical technology company. The dispute revolves around the blood sensor monitor found in Apple’s latest flagship smart watch.
The halt in sales will take effect this Thursday (December 21) at 3PM on the online Apple Store, with retail locations ceasing sales on December 24, just before the holiday season.
Confirmed by 9to5Mac, this news was also shared by TechCrunch. In a statement provided to TechCrunch, Apple confirmed the decision:
“A Presidential Review Period is currently underway for an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission regarding a technical intellectual property dispute related to the Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch devices. While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is taking preemptive steps to comply if the ruling is upheld. This includes pausing sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on Apple.com starting December 21, as well as in Apple retail locations after December 24. Our team at Apple is dedicated to creating products and services that provide users with cutting-edge health, wellness, and safety features. We strongly disagree with the ITC’s order and are pursuing various legal and technical avenues to ensure that the Apple Watch remains available to our customers. If the order is upheld, we will continue to take all necessary measures to return the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the United States as soon as possible.”
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