Apple Is Pulling Apple Watches Off Shelves Amid an Ugly Patent Dispute — Here’s How You Can Still Snag One This Holiday Season

Apple Is Pulling Apple Watches Off Shelves Amid an Ugly Patent Dispute — Here’s How You Can Still Snag One This Holiday Season

If you’re wishing to purchase an Apple Watch this holidaytime may be of the essence.

Apple Inc. revealed an impending stop of the sales of specific Apple Watch designs throughout the U.S. after the International Trade Commission ruled in October that it infringed on a medical innovation business’s patent, The New York Times reported.

Image Credit: Michael M. Santiago|Getty Images

Related: Is a New iPhone 15 en route? Apple to Hold September ‘Wonderlust’ Event Amidst Sales Slump

The Apple Watch Series 9 and the sophisticated Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be pulled from the online Apple Store on Thursday and from brick-and-mortar retail areas on Christmas Eve in the middle of a continuous contention with medical gadget maker Masimo, which implicated Apple of utilizing its trademarked pulse oximeter innovation– a crucial function in Apple‘s smartwatches utilized to determine blood oxygen levels– without authorization.

Apple had 2 months to strike a handle Masimo to accredit its innovation or attract the Biden Administration for a turnaround to prevent an overall restriction on sales– and selected to appeal. “While the evaluation duration will not end up until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking actions to comply must the judgment stand,” the business stated in a declaration, per CNN Business

The legal fight will not restrain the sales of other designs, like the Apple Watch SE. Just the Series 6 and later on and all versions of the Apple Watch Ultra will be impacted by the prospective import restriction. The impacted watches debuted in September and display improvements like the custom-made S9 chip for expedited processing and the hand gestures manage system.

Related: Apple Was Awarded a Patent for a Foldable Phone. Time to Flip Out!

Apple offered 49 million smartwatches in 2022 and about 26.7 million in the very first 9 months of 2023, according to the outlet.

The ITC restriction just extends to Apple’s direct sales channels. That suggests that customers can still discover all Apple Watch designs at third-party merchants like Walmart and Best Buy, both of which stated Monday that they do not plan to pull the item, TIME reported.

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