Apple will sell latest Apple Watch models again after import ban temporarily stopped by U.S. appeals court (2024)

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Apple smartwatches ads are displayed as customers take a look at smartwatch accessories at the Apple store in New York, U.S., December 26, 2023.

Eduardo Munoz | Reuters

Apple will be able to sell the latest Apple Watches after an import ban was temporarily paused by an appeals court on Wednesday, in a major victory for the iPhone maker.

Apple said in a statement that the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models will be on sale at Apple's stores on Wednesday and that they will be available online starting Thursday.

"We are thrilled to return the full Apple Watch lineup to customers in time for the new year," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement. "Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, including the blood oxygen feature, will become available for purchase again in the United States at Apple Stores starting today and from apple.com tomorrow by 12pm PT."

Apple stopped selling its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches last week in stores and online in response to an International Trade Commission order in October that found the blood oxygen sensor in the devices had infringed on intellectual property from Masimo, a medical technology company that sells to hospitals.

"The motion for an interim stay is granted to the extent that the Remedial Orders are temporarily stayed," a court filing Wednesday said.

On Monday, the Biden administration declined to pause the ITC ban. Apple filed the appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Tuesday. The company continues to seek a longer stay. The ITC will need to reply by Jan. 10. Apple said on Wednesday that it had submitted redesigned Apple Watch models for customs approval that could negate the ban.

The stay means Apple may be able to sell the latest models of one of its most important products during the busiest time of the year. Apple Watch sales are reported as part of Apple’s wearables business, which reported $39.8 billion in sales in fiscal 2023, which ended in September. Ultimately, Apple was unable to directly sell a few Apple Watch models in the U.S. for a period of days.

The sales pause did not affect the Apple Watch SE, an older model that cannot read blood oxygen levels. The latest Apple Watch models also continued to be available from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon as long as they had stock.

Masimo shares fell more than 4% on Wednesday. Apple's stock was flat.

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Apple will sell latest Apple Watch models again after import ban temporarily stopped by U.S. appeals court (2024)

FAQs

Apple will sell latest Apple Watch models again after import ban temporarily stopped by U.S. appeals court? ›

Apple has resumed selling the latest Apple Watches on its website after a federal appeals court paused a sales and import ban. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 are now once again available on Apple's website, a day after some physical Apple stores began selling the watches on December 27th.

Is Apple Watch import ban paused by U.S. appeals court? ›

Apple temporarily resumed sales of the watches the next day after persuading the Federal Circuit to pause the ban. The appeals court reinstated the ban in January, leading Apple to remove pulse oximetry capabilities from watches sold during the appeal, which Apple has said could last at least a year.

Did Apple won a temporary ban on the latest Apple Watch models? ›

The Apple Watch Series 9. Apple will immediately return to selling its most advanced Apple Watch models in stores, after a federal appeals court temporarily blocked a sweeping import ban on its latest smartwatches while a patent dispute winds its way through the legal system.

Did Apple restart watch sales after court temporarily blocks import ban? ›

Dec 27 (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL. O) , opens new tab can for now resume sales of its flagship smartwatches, after a U.S. appeals court on Wednesday paused a government commission's import ban on the devices imposed in a patent dispute over its medical monitoring technology.

Can Apple sell their watches again? ›

Apple can sell its Apple Watches again after Appeals Court suspends order. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has temporarily stopped an import ban issued by the International Trade Commission prohibiting the sale of Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the U.S.

Did the Apple Watch get unbanned? ›

A ban came and went in December, but the court lifted its stay, so the new watches are once again banned from the US if they have the disputed blood oxygen technology.

Is the Apple Watch ban lifted? ›

Apple won its appeal against a US import ban on its latest smart watch models. Apple's latest smart watches can resume being sold in the US after the tech company filed an emergency appeal with authorities.

Why can't Apple sell Apple Watches anymore? ›

The ITC issued the ban after finding that Apple infringed on blood oxygen saturation technology patented by a company called Masimo. It also ordered Apple to stop selling any previously-imported devices with the infringed-upon tech.

Why is Apple banned from selling Apple Watches? ›

In that ruling, the USITC found that Apple infringed on blood oxygen detection patents held by California-based medical monitoring company Masimo and called for a ban on the import and sale of Apple Watches that contained the infringing technology.

Which Apple Watches are banned? ›

What models did the Apple Watch ban affect? The ITC's ruling specifically targeted the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 because both of those models feature blood oxygen monitoring capabilities.

How do you unlock my Apple Watch so I can sell it? ›

next to your watch's name. Tap Unpair Apple Watch, then tap the Unpair button again to confirm. Enter your Apple ID password to turn off Activation Lock. If you forgot your Apple ID password, you can reset it.

How do I unlock an Apple Watch that I sold? ›

If the watch remains locked, either: Accompany the buyer and the watch to a Genius Bar appointment, taking along your original proof of purchase for the watch. Or contact Apple Support and explain that you have been unable to remove Activation Lock from a watch that you have sold: Contact - Official Apple Support.

Who is suing Apple for the watches? ›

In 2021, AliveCor filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple over the heart-monitoring technology used in the Apple Watch, claiming that Apple had abused its monopolistic power with the electrocardiogram (ECG) technology.

Why did the Apple Watch stop blood oxygen? ›

Why did Apple remove blood oxygen tracking from its watches? Apple got tangled up in a patent infringement lawsuit with Masimo, a medical technology company.

What happened with the Apple Watch lawsuit? ›

As reported by Reuters, a federal judge ruled in Apple's favor and dismissed an antitrust lawsuit that claimed that Apple had illegally monopolized the United States market on heart rate apps for the Apple Watch. AliveCor, a medical device and AI company, filed the lawsuit in 2021.

Is the Apple Watch getting banned in the US? ›

Some of the latest models of Apple watches have been banned - again. The Federal Appeals Court denied Apple's request to temporarily stop the ban on the sale of these products until the appeal process is completed. By the end of today, Thursday January 18, 2024, the import ban will be in full effect again.

What was the Supreme Court decision on Apple? ›

The Supreme Court decision let stand a 2023 appeals court ruling that found Apple's business model didn't violate antitrust laws, but that it did flout California's Unfair Competition Law by limiting the developers ability to communicate about alternate payment systems that may cost less.

Is Apple Watch cleared by FDA? ›

The FDA previously granted clearance to two Apple Watch functions as a direct-to-consumer wearable device with an electrocardiogram and to notify you if you have an irregular heartbeat, starting with the Series 4 in 2018.

Why is Apple banned from selling Apple watches? ›

In that ruling, the USITC found that Apple infringed on blood oxygen detection patents held by California-based medical monitoring company Masimo and called for a ban on the import and sale of Apple Watches that contained the infringing technology.

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