Apple Pulls Select Watch Models from its Stores Following Patent Dispute
A while back, a patent dispute between Apple and medical hardware manufacturer Masimo resulted in a decision being awarded in favor of Masimo. A ruling made in October by the US International Trade Commission shows that Apple was in violation of Masimo’s pulse oximeter patent which uses light-based technology in order to measure blood-oxygen levels.
Following this, Apple has finally decided to remove the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from its US website, after an appeal from the company to pause the ban was denied by the International Trade Commission. At the moment, a Presidential veto is the only way to undo this decision.
Buyers only have until December 23 to get the aforementioned models via Apple’s physical retail stores, as the company will no longer sell them on the 24th of December. Meanwhile, existing stock via third-party retailers will continue to be sold until stocks run out.
On one hand, Apple Watch models (like the SE) that don’t come with the disputed hardware will continue to be sold, although folks looking for a bit more in the specs department will no doubt prefer the more premium models, in which case they might want to grab the Series 9 or Ultra 2 before they disappear from store shelves.
Source: Engadget