
Apple on Monday said it would pause sales of its Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the U.S. due to an ongoing patent dispute. The patents in question cover the blood oxygen feature in the watches, and belong to medical technology company Masimo. Apple itself said it would halt sales of its latest oxygen sensor-equipped smart watches online starting December 21, and in retail starting December 25.
The dispute's roots lie in Masimo's claims that Apple's blood oxygen sensor infringes on 15 of its patents. The ITC ruling, announced in October, upheld a judge's decision from January and triggered a 60-day Presidential Review Period, which will be expiring on December 25. Despite the possibility of a veto from President Biden, Apple decided to halt sales of its latest smart watches as a proactive measure.