Apple has temporarily halted online sales of Apple Watches in the United States.
Apple has removed the devices from sale due to a forthcoming import ban imposed by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that’s due to take full effect on December 26th. Both watches will disappear from Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores after December 24th.
The ban is the result of a patent dispute with medical device maker Masimo. The ITC has ruled that the SpO2 sensor in Apple’s smartwatches infringes upon Masimo’s patents. On Wednesday, the ITC denied Apple’s motion to stay the ban while awaiting an appeal, theverge reports.
The ITC ban only applies to Apple’s own sales channels, meaning other retailers like Walmart and Best Buy shouldn’t be affected until their existing supplies run out. The ban also only affects watch sales in the US — other regions aren’t impacted.
