The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
Americans soon will have limited options if they want an Apple Watch.
Apple announced Monday that it will stop selling two versions of its popular smartwatches in the coming days. The Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will be removed from online and physical stores by the end of the week.
However, since the halt applies to watches sold only directly from Apple, users will still be able to get the watches from third-party suppliers. Once that supply runs out, consumers might have to switch to a different brand.
The sales halt comes at the end of a long legal battle for Apple.
The fight began when health tech company Masimo accused Apple of using its patented blood-oxygen tracking technology in its Apple Watches. Apple lost, with the International Trade Commission ruling that Apple had to settle with Masmimo or halt all imports of the two versions of the Apple Watch.
“Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers,” Apple said in a statement.
Christmas Day is the deadline for the Biden White House to overturn the ITC’s ruling. Presidential administrations rarely overturn rulings from the ITC and, with only six days to go, it remains unlikely the president will save the company.
The eventual import pause is likely to hurt Apple’s accessory sales. The watches are the most popular brand of smartwatches, dominating a quarter of the market. According to Apple’s analysis, the accessories and wearables section of Apple’s merchandise has brought in $40 billion for the company this year.
