The Apple Watch 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have been removed from the online Apple Store following a patent dispute over blood oxygen monitoring

Looking at Apple's website after the removal, the two Apple Watch models are listed as "Currently Unavailable" If you go to the individual product pages and scroll to the bottom, you will also see the following hidden in small letters: "After December 24, 2023, Apple will no longer sell Apple Watches with the ability to measure blood oxygen in the US"

This includes the standard Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 models, as well as the special edition Apple Watch Nike and Apple Watch Hermès; the Apple Watch SE 2 without the SpO2 monitor is still available

Prior to the legal ban starting December 26, a similar ban will apply to in-store purchases starting December 24; if you want to get your hands on an Apple Watch now, third-party sales are an option, but supplies at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy Once they run out, don't expect restocking to take place anytime soon

Also, since the ban only applies to the US, users in other regions should be able to purchase the watches in question without problems

To summarize the situation so far, the US International Trade Commission's order prevents Apple from selling Apple Watches with blood oxygen monitoring (offered starting with the Apple Watch 6 in 2020)

Apple failed to get the sales ban put on hold until the appeals process begins, so sales have been suspended until Apple and Masimo agree on a way to resolve the situation Possible solutions appear to include manufacturing all new Apple Watch models without the offending technology, applying a software patch to disable blood oxygen monitoring on existing Apple Watches, or a cash settlement

The ban on Apple Watch sales not only blocks sales of new watches, but also affects users who want to repair the Apple Watches they already own; Bloomberg reports that Apple will not be able to repair Apple Watch 6 and later It is not offering out-of-warranty repairs for hardware because most Apple Watch "repairs" are so complicated that they result in users being offered a brand new watch Software-based issues are not affected

It seems that the best Apple can do for owners of broken Apple Watches is to encourage users to keep their watches on hand for now so that engineers can address the issue after the prohibition is resolved Alternatively, if your watch is still under warranty for one year or you have AppleCare, you can get support as usual

In-store Apple Watch exchanges are also prohibited, and only refunds will be given if the watch is picked up Watch bands and related accessories can be exchanged, but one can only hope that the gift recipient has the correct size and color

Both the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are on our list of best smartwatches, but there are plenty of other options if you need a new wearable right now Otherwise, let's hope Apple and Masimo resolve the situation soon so that users can purchase the right watch for them without any problems