Apple will stop selling two models of its Apple Watch, due to a patent ruling against the company by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that was brought to bear by medical devices firm Masimo.
Published reports stated Apple will stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches through the online Apple Store on 28 December while retail locations will pull the plug on 24 December.
The legal dispute with Masimo is over the use of light-based pulse oximetry functionality, a feature used to measure oxygen levels. ITC found those two models’ use of blood oxygen tracking violated patents held by Masimo.
Masimo filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2020 to the Central District of California and a case to the ITC a year later.
In January a US judge ruled Apple had breached trade laws in importing and selling devices that infringed on the patents.
In October, the ITC’s recommendation was Apple had violated two of Masimo’s patents. The recommendation was subject to a 60-day review period by US President Joe Biden that’s set to expire 25 December.
Ryan Reith, program vice president for research firm IDC’s mobile device tracking sector, told Reuters that halting the sales of the two watches during the holiday season wouldn’t have much of an impact on Apple in the short term, but could in January and February.
Meanwhile Radio Free Mobile‘s Dr Richard Windsor noted Apple likely already has a workaround planned, given the prospect of an ITC ban has been very real for 11 months.
“The share price is barely registering the impact of a ban of the Apple Watch into the USA, reflecting my view that Apple will find a solution before there is a meaningful halt in device shipments,” he wrote.
