Apple to Halt Sales of Smartwatches After Patent Loss
Company to stop offering Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US
Move comes in response to the ruling on Masimo patents from ITC
Tweet on Apple halt on smartwatches
@Apple to Halt Sales of Smartwatches After Patent Loss
Company to stop offering Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US
Move comes in response to the ruling on Masimo patents, via Bloomberg#apple #smartwatch #branding #patents https://t.co/ntNrqhTouE— The_Journalbiz (@the_journalbiz) December 20, 2023
Bloomberg on Apple
Apple Inc. will stop selling the latest versions of its smartwatch in the US due to a patent dispute, taking some of its best-selling devices off the market during the busy holiday season.
Sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 will be halted on the company’s online store on Dec. 21 and at its physical retail locations beginning on Christmas Eve, it said in a statement Monday.
The International Trade Commission ruled in October that Apple violates Masimo patents and would need to halt sales of infringing devices. The patents relate to how the watches calculate a person’s blood oxygen saturation.
A presidential review of that order is now underway. “While the review period will not end until Dec. 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand,” the company said.
Health features have become increasingly critical selling points for the Apple Watch, putting the company in competition with medical device makers. Masimo, based in Irvine, California, sells a range of health monitoring technology.
In a statement, Masimo said the ban “demonstrates that even the world’s most powerful company must abide by the law.”
