Apple has halted the online purchase of two of its popular internet-connected watches in the United States due to an unsuccessful attempt to resolve a patent conflict that is preventing them from utilizing certain technologies on the product.

At 3 p.m. ET, Apple stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 online due to a legal dispute with Masimo, a medical technology company, regarding an intellectual property claim.

The International Trade Commission on rejected Apple’s bid to get around a late October order blocking the company from using some of technology underlying the Blood Oxygen measurement feature on the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.

Due to the ITC ruling, Apple has been forced to discontinue the sale of two watch models in the United States. They made this decision in order to comply with the ruling, unless it is overturned by the Biden administration before Christmas.

The suspension of online sales started on Thursday afternoon, but the devices will still be in stores until Sunday. The less advanced version of the Apple Watch will continue to be sold in the U.S. after Christmas Eve. Any Apple Watches that were already purchased with Blood Oxygen will not be affected by the ITC’s order.

According to Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives, Apple’s holiday sales could decrease by $300 million to $400 million if the patent conflict leads to the removal of two watch models from the U.S. market in the last week of the year.

Source: wral.com