Three months ago, Apple revealed its latest line of smartwatches, the Watch Ultra 2 and the Watch Series 9, to the world, branding them as “advanced” and “capable.”
Yet, the tech empire has been forced to halt the sales of both watches after receiving an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission.
Apple Press Release Confrims News
On Tuesday, Apple revealed that its highly anticipated watches would no longer be available in-store after Christmas Eve (or online from Dec. 21 onward) due to an unforeseen problem.
According to Apple, the prolonging of the release comes following “an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute.”
Watches Monitor Blood Oxygen Levels
Apple later shed light on the issue, claiming it had received an order from the Trades Commission to halt the sales.
The tech giant claims it’s all centered on a feature in the newest smartwatches that allows users to monitor their blood oxygen levels.
U.S. Judge Claims Apple Infringed Patents
The U.S. International Trade Commission, a federal agency that handles trade-related matters, issued the order after a U.S. judge ruled Apple had infringed on Masimo Patents, a medical technology company.
According to the judge, the technology used in Apple’s blood oxygen sensing system was copied from a popular Masimo product.
Watches on Pause for the Meantime
The order is currently under appeal with the Biden administration. However, Apple preemptively halted selling its newest watches in case the decision is upheld.
The potential infringement of patents was first reported this past Monday. Since then, Apple has confirmed its decision to various media outlets. The company said in a statement, “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” (via The New York Times).
Working to Fix the Problem
The tech company claims it’s doing everything possible to ensure the watches appear back in stores as soon as possible.
“Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement (via TechCrunch).
One of the Brand’s Best Sellers
Apple’s smartwatches are among the most important products sold by the tech giant. They helped push the company’s wearables to become the second-largest category behind the iPhone.
According to the tech giant’s marketing team, the size of its wearables unit alone equals that of a Fortune 150 company.
Get It While You Can
While Apple didn’t immediately halt the sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, by the end of the day on December 24, they will stop selling the new products in stores.
Ordering of the watches from their online store was halted on Dec. 21, pending the outcome of the appeal.
Apple Are Pursuing Legal Options
“Apple’s teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features,” the company said in its statement.
Making a deal with Masimo unfortunately doesn’t seem like an option. The rival company alleged in court that Apple took key employees and executives in addition to the technology (per The New York Times).
Couldn’t Come at a Worse Time
The pause in Apple Watch sales comes at a typically incredibly busy period for the tech company.
Smartwatches are among the top products sold during the critical holiday session, from Black Friday to Christmas.
Restoring Fairness in the Market
While Apple plans to pursue legal options to ensure they can safely begin to sell its newest batch of smartwatches, not everyone agrees with their practices.
When the judge’s ruling was made in January, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani said the decision “should help restore fairness in the market.”
Available Through Other Retailers
The order from the Trades Commission affects the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 through Apple specifically.
While it prohibits Apple from importing these watches and selling them to resellers, consumers may be able to find one of the products from independent retailers for a limited time.
