US Apple Watch Ban is Also Affecting Repairs of Older Models

Apple stopped selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 models on its online store yesterday, and the two Watch models will also be pulled from the company’s US retail stores on December 24. This is due to a patent dispute with medical technology company Masimo, which led to a sales ban from the US International Trade Commission.

One unexpected effect of this ITC ban is that Apple is also no longer providing repairs or replacements for Apple Watch models with blood oxygen sensors that are out of warranty. This will affect the Apple Watch Series 6 from 2020 and newer models, so a not-so-insignificant number of US customers may be impacted.

According to Bloomberg, Apple sent a memo to its customer service teams to warn them that out-of-warranty Apple Watch models can no longer be replaced. “The company will still offer help that can be done via software, such as reinstalling the operating system. Company representatives were told to tell affected customers that they will be contacted when hardware replacements are allowed again,” the report reads.

If you purchase an Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2 at an Apple retail store before December 25, you’ll still be able to get it replaced under warranty or return it for a refund. Apple will also continue selling its Apple Watch SE in the US, as this model doesn’t have the blood oxygen sensing feature that infringes on patents held by Masimo. The US ITC ban also only applies to Apple, so other retailers can continue to sell the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.

Apple is reportedly working on a software update to address the patent dispute with Masimo. It’s not clear when the software update will be ready and if it will be enough to end the ITC ban, but in the meantime, consumers in the rest of the world are unaffected.