The Apple Watch ban is now in full effect after the Biden administration opted not to intervene and reverse the decision to halt sales – and Apple has said it will now appeal a decision where it 'completely disagree'.
To recap, Apple has been told to stop selling the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US due to a sensor patent dispute with a company called Masimo. You can no longer buy these products directly from Apple, and since imports into the US have also been halted, they will soon disappear from third-party retailers as well.
According to the BBC And 9to5Macthe 60-day window for the White House to become involved has now passed without incident – meaning the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling in the US is still in effect.
The office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said Tuesday that after some “careful deliberation” it had reached the decision not to reverse the ITC's decision. It was Apple's last real hope of avoiding a ban.
The next steps
Apple, as you might expect, is not very happy. In a statement to 9to5Macsaid “we strongly disagree” with the decision, and the company has now confirmed it is “taking all measures” to have the ban lifted – including an official appeal.
“At Apple, we work tirelessly to create products and services that have a meaningful impact on users' lives,” the statement says, noting that “millions of people” benefit from the “scientifically validated” features on the Apple Watch. That seems to indicate that the sensor technology is all Apple's own work, and not stolen from Masimo.
It's not clear exactly how long this will all take, but the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency will make a decision on January 12 on whether redesigned versions of the Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 – without the disputed elements – can be offered for sale.
For now, this won't affect repairs and replacements as long as your device is still under warranty or protected by AppleCare. Apple says it wants to resume normal service “as soon as possible,” so keep an eye on this space.