Apple Halts Sales of Smartwatches Amid Patent Dispute

Apple will temporarily halt sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the U.S. due to a patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled in October that Apple's smartwatches violated Masimo's patent rights, potentially leading to an import ban. While the ruling is under review by President Biden's administration, Apple is taking preemptive steps toward compliance. The affected smartwatches will no longer be sold on Apple's website and retail locations after December 24. Apple plans to appeal the ITC's decision and argues that it did not infringe on Masimo's patents.