Apple to stop selling Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 this week
It's unknown when sales will resume of Apple's popular wearables
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Reviewed / Apple
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We’re smack in the middle of prime gift-buying season, so it might seem surprising to read that Apple is halting sales of the two newest offerings from its popular wearables line—the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2—starting Thursday, December 21, with in-store pickups and sales ending December 24.
Apple just launched them this past September at its Wonderlust event. The reason? As first reported by 9to5Mac, it’s due to an ongoing patent dispute between Apple and medical device company Masimo over the blood oxygen sensor technology used in the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
An International Trade Commission (ITC) ruling in October, that seems to agree that Apple is infringing on Masimo’s patents, set off a 60-day timeline for President Biden to review the ruling and either veto it or let it stand. That window ends on December 25, so Apple made the preemptive move to stop sales before the window closes, saying in a statement to 9to5Mac “Should the order stand, Apple will continue to take all measures to return [sales of] Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible.”
We love both of these Apple Watches (the Series 9 is our best overall pick). While the decision by Apple to stop selling only immediately affects its own sales and they’ll still be available on Amazon past December 25, Apple will not be able to import any additional stock if the ruling stands. That means stock on both watches could dwindle and disappear in the near future.
If you're planning on gifting one of these popular Apple Watches this holiday season—or eyeing one for yourself—you’ll need to act fast to get the most advanced Apple Watches available.
If you're an iPhone user, the Apple Watch Series 9 is the best smartwatch you can get. It includes incremental improvements over previous iterations and delivers a brighter display and the fastest watch processor available.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a tough, refined digital companion.