Apple will soon completely stop selling the Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States, due to a new ban.
If you're unfamiliar with the situation, Apple has been embroiled in a years-long patent battle with medical technology company Masimo over the blood oxygen sensor on its smartwatches. An American judge ruled that the technology giant infringed Masimo's patent back in January. Apple tried to fight back, but the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled against them, effectively banning wearables.
As of today, December 21, the Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 are no longer available on the company's official store. The smartwatches will be available for purchase at Apple Store locations until Christmas Eve, after which they will be removed from the shelves.
It will still be possible to purchase the device through third-party retailers, but note that Apple will no longer be making units due to the ruling. So what is found online is all that remains for the foreseeable future.
We've collected multiple entries for the wearables into a few tables. If you're interested, we recommend you act quickly because once they're gone, they're gone. These platforms will no longer receive new stock if they are sold out.
Apple Watch 9
| Fashion model | Retailer | Cost |
| Apple Watch 9 – 41mm | Amazon | $330 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 45mm | Amazon | $360 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 41mm | Goal | $330 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 45mm | Goal | $360 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 41mm | Best Buy | $330 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 45mm | Best Buy | $360 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 41mm GPS plus mobile | Walmart | $430 (in stock) |
| Apple Watch 9 – 45mm GPS plus mobile | Walmart | $460 (in stock) |
Apple Watch Ultra 2
| Retailer | Cost |
| Amazon | $750 (in stock) |
| Best Buy | $750 (in stock) |
| Goal | $800 (in stock) |
| Walmart | $800 (in stock) |
These are the only two models subject to the ban. The Apple Watch SE doesn't have blood oxygen monitoring, so it's safe. And if you already have an Apple Watch 9, Ultra 2 or an older model, the technology will continue to work. There won't be a patch that disables blood oxygen monitoring or anything like that.
The plan is moving forward
So, what is Apple's plan for the future? First, the company says it will appeal the ruling to the Federal Circuit, hoping to have it overturned. Bloomberg recently reported on Apple is working on a software update that will tweak the feature so it can bypass the ban. CEO of Masimo Joe Kiani told the publication the patent issue concerns hardware and not software, so the patch doesn't solve anything. But he is willing to work things out with them.
Some have raised the point that President Biden could veto the ban. He has the authority to do so. Whether he will actually do so seems to depend on what US Trade Representative Katherine Tai decides. White House Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Ambassador Tai “takes into account all factors in this matter (and) has the authority to decide” what happens to the Apple Watch models.
One day the devices could come back, but at this point no one knows for sure.
Be sure to check out Ny Breaking's list of the best Apple Watches for 2023.