Apple Watch Ban: Temporary relief for Apple as US court halts sales ban

Apple has restarted selling its latest Apple Watch models, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, in US after a pause due to a legal issue. The sale resumes in some physical stores in the US from today, with a broader rollout expected by Saturday, and online sales will recommence soon, according to a report by The Verge. This decision follows a federal appeals court temporarily halting a ban that had been imposed on these products.

The ban was initially enforced after the US International Trade Commission found Apple in violation of patents held by Masimo, a medical device maker. The patents in question are related to a blood oxygen saturation sensor, a feature present in Apple's flagship watches since late 2020. Apple had temporarily ceased sales of the affected models in anticipation of the ban's enforcement on December 26th.

The court's decision to pause the ban allows Apple to continue selling its watches while it awaits a ruling on whether its proposed modifications to the watches will resolve the patent infringement issues. A final decision by US Customs and Border Protection on these changes is expected on January 12th. Meanwhile, the report claims that the court is also considering whether to extend the pause on the ban until a final ruling on the patent dispute is made, which could further delay any sales restrictions by months.

During the ban, third-party retailers were still able to sell their existing stock of Apple Watches, although they would have eventually faced difficulties restocking due to the import ban. The less expensive Apple Watch SE, which lacks the contentious blood oxygen sensor, was not affected by the ban and continued to be available.

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