
4 things to know about the Apple Watch fiasco
CNN
It will soon become a lot harder to find the latest Apple Watch models in the United States.
It will soon become a lot harder to find the latest Apple Watch models in the United States. Apple said Monday it will stop selling some versions of its bestselling smartwatch starting later this week to get ahead of what could be one of the most momentous patent disputes in quite some time. The unprecedented decision to remove a hugely popular product from store shelves stems from a recent ruling by the International Trade Commission that found Apple was in violation of medical company Masimo’s pulse oximeter patent. That technology uses light to read blood-oxygen levels. Apple introduced a pulse oximeter feature utilizing that method in 2020 in its Apple Watch Series 6 lineup. Now Apple faces the possibility of having these models banned unless Apple makes substantial changes to the way the Apple Watch works – or if the ruling is vetoed by President Joe Biden during a review period. Although the review period doesn’t end until December 25, Apple said it is “preemptively taking steps to comply should the ruling stand” by removing some from the market. Here’s a closer look at everything you need to know: Apple told CNN it will no longer sell its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the United States, starting Thursday on Apple.com and from retail locations after December 24.