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Apple Discontinued The Sale Of Watch Series 9 And Ultra 2
Apple has ceased the retail of the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the United States due to an upcoming import prohibition enforced by the ITC.
I have been monitoring this matter closely, and Apple has officially acknowledged it.
The Reason for Unavailability in the U.S.
Apple is currently entangled in a legal dispute with Masimo, a company in the medical technology sector. Masimo manufactures a Pulse Oximeter that gauges Blood Oxygen Level (SpO2). This is not the first encounter between the two firms. Masimo asserts that Apple employed its patented technology for the SpO2 sensor in the Apple Watch Series 6 and subsequent models introduced in 2020. Apple refuted the claims and accused Masimo of exploiting the ITC to prevent a life-saving product from reaching millions of consumers. Apple also highlighted Masimo’s intentions to unveil a watch resembling Apple’s design. Masimo has obtained FDA approval for its own wearable. These conflicts resulted in the ITC convicting Apple and imposing an embargo on imports.
Apple’s declaration to TechCrunch indicated a Presidential Review Period for the intellectual property conflict, which concludes on December 25. The likelihood of President Joe Biden vetoing the ban appears low.
If the prohibition remains in place, Apple will take steps to retrieve the banned devices from U.S. customers promptly and may launch an appeal. The ban solely impacts Apple’s sales in the United States, allowing the company to continue marketing the wearables in other nations. Although the products are no longer available on Apple’s official site, they are still procurable from physical Apple Stores until December 24th. The ITC embargo takes effect on December 25th.
Retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy can continue vending the prohibited Apple watches post-ban. Nevertheless, Apple has instructed its personnel not to reveal the devices’ availability locations.
Impact on Apple Watch Repairs
Due to the ban, Apple is unable to repair older Apple Watches, affecting out-of-warranty models including those from the Apple Watch Series 6. This news emerges as the festive season approaches, giving rise to apprehensions about profiteers exploiting the scenario.
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