In a swift turn of events, Apple’s latest smartwatches, the Series 9 and Ultra 2, face an import ban reversal following a brief suspension by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The court decided not to prolong the temporary lifting of the ban, leading to a halt in sales at Apple’s retail outlets starting from January 18th at 5:00 PM EST.
Quick Resolution to Patent Dispute
Seemingly faster than the reinstatement of the ban was Apple’s removal of the contentious blood oxygen measurement functionality from the affected devices. The elimination of this feature, central to the patent conflict, allows the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 to maintain their sales momentum, both online and in physical Apple stores.
Continued Sales Despite Setbacks
This strategic decision by Apple underscores the company’s agility in navigating legal challenges while continuing to serve its customer base. Although the blood oxygen monitoring feature is now absent from the two models, the watches remain available for consumers to purchase directly from Apple.
