Apple will have to stop the sales of its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch 2 over a patent dispute. The Cupertino giant is forced into halting the smartwatch sales globally after a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC). Apple had run into a conflict with California-based tech firm Masimo Corporation over blood sensor monitor, particularly the pulse oximetry used on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2.
So, Apple will stop selling Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 at Apple Store from Thursday, December 21. Likewise, Apple retail locations will put on hold their sales beginning on December 24. This should certainly irk the tech giant as it will have to shut down the sales during the holiday times. The 24 is also the the last day for delivery of online orders before Christmas.
Apple confirms to stop selling Watch 9 series and Watch Ultra 2 Smartwatches
Apple has confirmed that it will stop the sale of Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatches and Apple Watch Ultra 2. Here’s what Apple said:
“A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature. While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand. This includes pausing sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple.com starting December 21, and from Apple retail locations after December 24.
Apple official statement on decision to pause the sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
“Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features. Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers,” the company added.
For its part, Apple is going to appeal the ruling for it believes right on the opposite. Last year, the company filed suits against the med tech firm accusing it of patent infringement. The company even claimed that Masimo “copies Apple” and was using ICT to keep a vital health service from the US customers. Apple then said, “Masimo has wrongly attempted to use the ITC to keep a potentially lifesaving product from millions of U.S. consumers while making way for their own watch that copies Apple.”
Masimo asserted in 2021 that the technology debuted with the Series 6 devices in June 2021 was inspired by with under the table efforts by Apple. The company alleged that Apple tried to introduce the technology in its own gadgets by “hiring Masimo employees, starting with Masimo’s Chief Medical Officer. In the Fall of 2020, Apple introduced the Series 6, manufactured in Asia.”
Masimo has received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to use its proprietary wrist-worm product for over-the-counter use. Meanwhile, Apple will now have to battle it out to keep its Apple Watch Series 9 available to customers while also retain a vital selling point technology in its inventory.
The ruling will also hurt the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatch sales in Nepal. If you were planning on buying one, then it won’t be possible soon and unless Apple reverses the decision.
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Senior Editor; An experienced tech writer covering news mostly on telecommunication, internet, latest tech & trends, and Gadgets. Being a technophile, I am particularly fascinated by the evolution of mobile networks in Nepal from legacy networks (2G, 3G) to 4G (with VoLTE, VoWiFi, eSIM) and the prospects of the upcoming 5G, and equally enthralled by the development of internet from the dial-up connection to the 2 Gbps XGS-PON fiber broadband technology and their transformative impact in the country.
