Time’s almost up on most new Apple Watch sales in the United States.
Starting this week, Apple is halting sales of its flagship Apple Watches—the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2—after federal regulators approved an import ban on the products amid a patent dispute.
In October, the U.S. International Trade Commission upheld a ruling made in January by a federal judge that Apple infringed upon health technology firm Masimo’s pulse oximetry technology. The technology—installed on all mainline and Ultra-branded Apple watches released since 2020—measures blood oxygen levels using red and near-infrared light sensors at the back of the watch face.
Apple will no longer be able to sell its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches on its website starting Thursday at noon and at physical stores starting Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. Third-party retailers like Best Buy and Amazon can continue to sell existing products, but Apple will not be able to deliver the devices to retailers after Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
The Series 9 and the Ultra 2 watches retail for $400 and $800, respectively, on Apple’s website.
The Apple Watch SE—Apple’s budget-minded offering, which lacks the pulse oximetry technology at the center of the kerfuffle—will still be sold. The ruling also does not appear to affect secondhand sales of Apple Watches with the technology in place, or repairs and warranty replacements of already-sold watches.
Apple's import ban is currently undergoing a presidential review period that ends Christmas Day, so there is the possibility that President Joe Biden could overturn the ITC’s ruling.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment further, instead referring to a statement where the company said it “strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers.”
The company wrote if the order stands it will continue to “take all measures” to make the products available for U.S. customers.
Apple is the dominant company in the smartwatch category, accounting for 34.1% of all smartwatch shipments and 60% of revenue in the market last year, according to market researcher Counterpoint. Analysts estimated that the company sold more than 50 million Apple Watch units for the first time last year.