Apple announced on Monday that it was suspending the sale of two of its watch models in the United States after being accused of copying blood-monitoring technology.
ADVERTISEMENTThe products in question, the Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches, will no longer be available for US customers buying online from Thursday afternoon, and in-store sales will stop on Sunday.
This decision comes after the US International Trade Commission (USITC) recommended on 27 October that certain Apple watches shouldn’t be imported into the United States, as medical technology company Masimo accused Apple of copying its technologies.
The USITC issued a "limited exclusion order" against the watches, which was due to take effect after sixty days unless the US government objected, California-based Masimo said at the time.
A review of this recommendation is currently under way at the White House, but Apple is pausing sales early.
"The (presidential) review period does not end until December 25, but Apple is taking pre-emptive steps to comply with the decision if it is upheld," a spokesperson for the US group told AFP on Monday.
That said, if the ITC's sales ban isn't overturned, Apple has pledged to "take all measures" to resume sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the US as soon as possible.
The Apple Watch SE, which lacks the Blood Oxygen feature, will remain on sale in the U.S. after Christmas Eve, and previously purchased Apple Watches equipped with the Blood Oxygen aren't affected by the ITC order.
