Apple was blocked from selling the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the US after President Joe Biden’s administration declined to veto the ban; however, on December 27th, the federal appeals court temporarily paused it, allowing Apple to restart sales in its stores and on Apple.com.
Apple is now banned from selling its latest Apple Watches in the US
The International Trade Commission’s ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 officially goes into effect on December 26th.
The International Trade Commission’s ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 officially goes into effect on December 26th.
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
Apple pulled both devices from its website on December 21st and from its store shelves after December 24th. A statement (via CNBC) from the Office of US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the agency “decided not to reverse the ITC’s [International Trade Commission] determination” after “careful consideration.”
In a statement published by Reuters, an unnamed Apple spokesperson confirmed it’s appealing the ITC decision and said: “We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible.”
The ITC issued the ban after finding that Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology patented by a company called Masimo. It also ordered Apple to stop selling any previously-imported devices with the infringed-upon tech. While Apple attempted to block the decision while awaiting an appeal, the ITC denied Apple’s request, and the other chance of intervention was a veto from President Joe Biden, which didn’t happen.
The ban only affectrf Apple stores in the US. That meant customers could still get their hands on a Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers while supplies last. Apple will also continue selling the Watch SE, as it doesn’t come with a blood oxygen sensor.
Still, it’s not clear where Apple will go from here. My colleague Victoria Song explores the various paths Apple could take, including making software changes to the blood oxygen sensor on both watches or disabling the sensor on imported devices. But both of those methods might not be enough to satisfy the ITC, which is why Apple could always choose to settle with Masimo instead.
Update December 26th, 11:10AM ET: Added statement and appeal.
Update December 27th, 12:03PM ET: Updated to reflect the temporary pause.
Update December 27th, 5:33PM ET: Noted Apple Watch sales restart details.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
