Apple has decided to halt the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in its online store. The reason behind this decision is the import ban imposed by the United States International Trade Commission (ITC). The ban, which will come into effect on December 26, is a result of a patent dispute with medical equipment manufacturer Masimo. The ITC ruled that the SpO2 sensor in Apple’s smartwatches infringes Masimo’s patents.
To comply with the ban, Apple has removed the products from its online store and limited availability to physical stores and other retail outlets. However, the ban only applies to Apple’s sales channels, and stores such as Walmart and Best Buy should not be affected as long as they deplete their existing inventory. Additionally, the ban only applies to sales within the United States and does not impact other regions.
In the future, Apple will still be able to sell the more affordable Apple Watch SE model, which does not include the SpO2 sensor. Additionally, Apple has discontinued the refurbished versions of the Series 7 and Series 8 watches that contain the infringing sensor, as well as two special editions of the Series 9 watch.
The duration of the ban remains uncertain. Apple is considering three possible solutions to address the patent infringement issue. Firstly, the company’s engineers are working on making software changes that could modify the way blood oxygen level is measured and presented to the users. However, Masimo claims that the patents relate to the hardware, which potentially means that software changes may not be sufficient. Hardware changes could take at least three months, during which Apple would produce and ship new watches.
Alternatively, Apple could reach an agreement with Masimo. The CEO of Masimo, Joe Kiani, has expressed willingness to resolve the dispute, but as of December 19, Apple has not made contact. In the meantime, Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg stated that the company “strongly disagrees” with the ITC’s decision and is taking legal and technical actions to ensure the availability of Apple Watch for customers.
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The source of the article is from the blog trebujena.net