Sales of Apple Watch Series 9 to be halted over a patent dispute: Report

WASHINGTON: Apple will be halting sales of its Series 9 smartwatches, TechCrunch has reported. This follows an October ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC), owing to a patent dispute with California-based medtech firm, Masimo.

According to the news report, the dispute stemmed from the blood sensor monitor on the latest flagship smart Watch. The primary dispute centres around pulse oximetry, which utilizes an optical sensor to detect blood flow. Last month Masimo received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to use its own wrist-worn product for prescription and over-the-counter use.

The move goes into effect through the online Apple Store this Thursday (December 21), with retail locations ceasing sales on December 24 -- just ahead of the holiday.

The 24th is also the last day for pickup and delivery of online orders, a TechCrunch report said.

"A Presidential Review Period is in progress regarding an order from the U.S. International Trade Commission on a technical intellectual property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch devices containing the Blood Oxygen feature. While the review period will not end until December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand. This includes pausing sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 from Apple.com starting December 21, and from Apple retail locations after December 24," TechCrunch said Apple confirmed the move in a statement.

The statement added Apple's teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features.

"Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers."

"Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible," the Apple's statement read, as per the TechCrunch report.

Medtech firm Masimo's complaint, which was initially focused on technology introduced with the Series 6, dates back to June 2021.

As per the TechCrunch report, the medical company had stated that Apple, "began hiring Masimo employees, starting with Masimo's Chief Medical Officer. In the Fall of 2020, Apple introduced the Series 6, manufactured in Asia."