Apple stops selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 online TODAY as landmark ban comes into force – and shoppers have until Sunday night to buy one in-store

Apple has officially halted online sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US, as a complete ban could come into effect on Sunday.

The two smartwatches were labeled as “unavailable” at 3 p.m. ET, with no future purchase option — but customers can pick up orders in-store until December 24.

The move comes as the International Trade Commission (ITC) rejected Apple's bid to avoid the cease and desist order over patent infringement claims.

Medical technology company Masimo is suing Apple, claiming it stole hardware from two of its patents.

The announcement means that the only Apple Watch available in the US will be the company's budget SE model.

The fate of the Apple Watch now rests in the hands of the White House, and if President Joe Biden doesn't veto the order, the tech giant will have to wait until 2028 to begin sales, when Masimo's two patents expire off.

Thursday's announcement wasn't a surprise, as Apple revealed it would pull the Series 9 and Ultra 2 from its online store “and take preemptive steps to comply if the ruling were to hold.”

In October, the ITC announced its ruling, finding that the Apple Watches infringed two patents owned by Masimo.

A spokesman for Masimo told DailyMail.com: 'Masimo is prepared to reach a settlement. Like Joe Kiani [CEO] As stated, we believe the path forward is to engage in honest, good-faith discussions with Apple to explore the various ways in which the parties can resolve their dispute.”

However, Apple is said to have launched a $17 billion rescue mission, with engineers working to tweak the algorithms that measure blood oxygen.

Details about the exact software changes are unknown, but industry experts speculate that Apple will change the algorithms enough to address patent violations.

The move follows a legal dispute over the technology Apple's smartwatches use to utilize their blood oxygen function. Medical technology company Masimo is suing Apple, claiming it stole hardware from two of its patents

However, Masimo's patents focus on hardware, not software, which emits light onto the skin to collect data on blood oxygen levels.

Masimo told Bloomberg that a software repair would not be an adequate solution and that 'the hardware needs to change.'

If Apple changes the algorithm, the adjustments could reduce that accuracy or change the functionality of the sensor, making the feature irrelevant.

The report also noted that if Apple is forced to replace hardware, it will take at least three months to produce and ship corrected models.

The company's retail locations have already been told to replace signage with wearables, advertising the device without showing images of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 – Apple's latest smartwatches targeted by the ban.

Customer service teams were also informed in a memo that Apple will no longer replace out-of-warranty models dating back to the Apple Watch Series 6.

For example, if a customer has a broken screen, he wouldn't be able to have Apple fix the problem, the Bloomberg News report said, adding that the company will still provide assistance that can be done through software, such as reinstalling the operating system .

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives estimates that Apple's holiday sales will fall by $300 million and $400 million if the patent dispute results in the two watch models being pulled from the market in the last week of the year.

The dispute began in 2013 when Masimo met with Apple to discuss a possible partnership for the Apple Watch project.

But Apple chose not to join Masimo due to its focus on hospital products, which is inconsistent with the tech giant's consumer-focus model.

Masimo sued Apple in federal court in 2020 and again in 2021 after the release of the Apple Watch Series 6, the first model with the blood oxygen feature.

According to the company's website, Masimo, founded by Kiani in 1989, holds thousands of healthcare and consumer-oriented patents.

Records show Masimo is valued at $6.69 billion, and Kiani's net worth is $1.3 billion.

According to Forbes, Kiani has spent $60 million fighting Apple in court.

A spokesperson for Masimo told DailyMail.com: 'After a thorough, multi-year legal investigation, the ITC has determined that Apple has infringed on certain of Masimo's patented innovations for measuring blood oxygen.

“The decision to exclude certain foreign-made models of the Apple Watch shows that even the most powerful company in the world must follow the law.

“The ITC's expert judgment in this matter must be respected, protecting intellectual property rights, preserving public confidence in the United States patent system, and encouraging American industry.