As promised, Apple today stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 on its US online store, with the devices being withdrawn just days before the Apple Watch import ban goes into effect. When trying to purchase “Apple Watch Series 9” or “Apple Watch Ultra 2” from the online store, the device displays the message “currently unavailable.” Apple also removed the updated Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 8 models from its website.
Apple said Monday it will have to suspend sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to comply with an International Trade Commission order banning imports into the United States of components related to the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen monitoring technology. The situation came after the ITC ruled that the Apple Watch’s blood oxygen sensor infringed patents owned by medical device company Masimo.
The Apple Watch is still available for purchase at Apple retail stores, but Apple will stop selling it in stores after December 24th. Sales will be suspended only in the United States and only at Apple’s own retail locations. Third-party stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy may continue to sell the Apple Watch while supplies last. Apple will be able to sell the Apple Watch SE because it does not have a blood oxygen sensor.
If the White House vetoes the import ban, Apple will be able to continue sales and must review the decision and decide whether to intervene by December 25. Unless the White House vetoes the import ban, Apple will not be able to sell the Apple Watch until it eliminates the offending technology.
Apple plans to file an appeal as soon as possible on December 26, and the company said it is “exercising a number of legal and technical options” to bring Apple Watch models back to store shelves as soon as possible.
Apple believes a software fix may be enough to alleviate the problem, and Apple engineers are working to adjust the way oxygen saturation is determined and the data is presented to customers. Apple said it was trying to offer a workaround to US customs to lift the ban, but since the patents in question are hardware-related, it’s unclear whether a software fix will be enough.