Apple Watch Sales Resume on Ban Suspension

With the temporary suspension of sales and import restrictions, Apple has resumed selling its latest watches, the Series 9 and Ultra 2.

The two smartwatches would return in certain physical stores on Thursday, with broader availability set for Saturday.

Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg also said the online sales would resume on Friday at 3 PM ET.

The resumption came after a federal appeals court suspended the barring of sales and imports on Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. The US restrictions on the products resulted from the tech giant being found by the country’s International Trade Commission (ITC) to have infringed on Masimo’s patents.

The appeals court granted Apple temporary permission to continue selling its watches while it awaits a decision on whether the proposed modifications on the devices would be exempted from the patent dispute.

The decision is set to be determined by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on January 12.

If unsuccessful, the court is considering temporarily halting the ban until it can address the patent issue, potentially resulting in months of delay for the prohibition.

Rothberg stated in an email that they appreciated the US Court of Appeals for pausing the exclusion order while it mulls over their request to hold off the order until the company’s full appeal.

Before the December 26 ban, Apple withdrew the Series 9 and Ultra 2 from its online and physical stores.

The ban included devices equipped with SpO2 sensors, which have been present in one of the firm’s flagship watches since 2020, the Series 6. The Apple Watch SE remains available as it lacks such a feature.

US Court Pauses Apple Watch Ban, Considers Extending Delay

A day after the Apple Watch import ban took effect, the US Court of Appeals temporarily stopped the order to review an extended suspension.

The prohibition on specific Apple smartwatches started on Tuesday, following the decision of the Biden administration not to veto the patent infringement ruling.

However, the federal court said the ban would be paused while they deliberate on granting a suspension of the order through the whole appeal process.

The appeals court is now considering extending the delay for the import and sales ban. The iPhone maker has sought a temporary halt until the court can deliver a full decision on the patent infringement case, which may take several more weeks.