Apple To Halt Sale Of Watch Series 9 And Ultra 2

(RTTNews) - Tech giant Apple Inc. (AAPL) has announced that it will halt sales of its flagship Apple Watch models in the United States.

According to 9to5Mac, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will no longer be available to purchase from Apple starting later this week.

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch Series 9 will no longer be available to order from Apple's website in the U.S. after 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 21. In-store inventory will no longer be available from Apple retail locations after December 24.

The decision is based on an ITC ruling related to a patent dispute between Apple and medical technology company Masimo around the Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor technology.

The International Trade Commission announced its ruling in October, upholding a judge's decision from January. This sent the case to the Biden administration for a 60-day Presidential Review Period.

During this process, President Biden could veto the ruling, although this has not yet occurred. The Presidential Review Period expires on December 25, and Apple is making this announcement today to "preemptively" take steps to comply with the ITC's decision.

In a statement, Masimo said the ban "demonstrates that even the world's most powerful company must abide by the law."

"The ITC found that Apple stole Masimo's patented pulse oximetry technology, which measures blood oxygen," the company said. "The ITC undertook a thorough legal process and its expert judgment in this matter should be respected, protecting intellectual property rights and maintaining public trust in the United States' patent system."