Apple managed to put the Apple Watch import ban on hold, which has allowed the company to continue online and in-store sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
In-store Apple Watch sales resumed on Wednesday after Apple convinced the Federal Court of Appeals to stay the ITC import ban. Now, a day later, Apple has resumed online sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
The Apple Watch main page still says "currently unavailable." However, if you click "shop Watch," the link takes you to a page where all three models are available.
The "Currently Unavailable" tags on the recent Apple Watch models were unprecedented, as no other patent lawsuit made it as far as Masimo's. The International Trade Commission recommended an import ban on any Apple Watch with a blood oxygen detection, which included Apple's latest models.
A full ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 could still occur, but how much that affects Apple depends on when the ban would go into place. It will likely take weeks, if not months, for appeals to conclude.
If a ruling is held off until September 2024, Apple will be able to release new Apple Watch models, presumably with a workaround that would avoid a ban. So, even if the existing models are banned from import, Apple will have removed them from sale anyway to make way for the new models.
The Apple Watch Series 9 is available in an aluminum case starting at $399. Apple Watch Ultra 2 starts at $799.