The once unthinkable has occurred: Apple is banned from selling not one but two different products over a patent dispute that dates back more than a decade. Since Jun 26, 2025, the company has sold modified versions of theApple Watch Series 9andApple Watch Ultra 2in the US that do not feature the blood oxygen monitoring functionality those wearables previously included.
How did we get here, what happens next, and what does it all mean if you own a Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2? This guide will attempt to answer those questions.
How did Apple get here?
This particular legal saga dates back to 2013, with the release of the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020 representing a flashpoint. Two years before it announced the original Apple Watch in 2015, Masimo, a medical device maker based out of Irvine, Calif., alleges Apple asked for a meeting the company said would help it “to understand more about Masimo’s technology to potentially integrate that technology into Apple’s products.” At the time, Masimo was known for its pulse oximetry tech, which many wearables use to measure SpO2 or blood oxygen saturation.
‘When Apple takes an interest in a company, it’s the kiss of death. First, you get all excited. Then you realize that the long-term plan is to do it themselves and take it all.’
According to Masimo, it left those discussions feeling they were productive. However, later that same year, Apple began hiring some of the company’s key talent, offering them “sizable salaries” to bring their expertise to Cupertino.
Among the employees Masimo lost to Apple was its chief medical officer. “When Apple takes an interest in a company, it’s the kiss of death,” Joe Kiani, the founder and CEO of Masimo,told The Wall Street Journalin 2023. “First, you get all excited. Then you realize that the long-term plan is to do it themselves and take it all.”
The Apple vs Masimo legal battle begins
In fall 2020, Apple released theWatch Series 6, the first Apple Watch to feature a blood oxygen monitor. Earlier in the year, Masimo filed a complaint with the US District Court in Central California accusing the company of stealing trade secrets and infringing upon its pulse oximetry patents. Apple subsequentlycounter-sued Masimo, alleging the company had infringed on several Apple Watch patents with itsW1 Medical Watch.
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Patent litigation is a slow process, and the original lawsuit from Masimo dragged on until May 2023,ending in a mistrial. In search of more immediate relief, tech companies will often turn to the US International Trade Commission (ITC) while they continue to litigate their patent disputes in court.
That’s whatSonosdid when it accused Google in 2020 of infringing on its smart speaker patents, and it’s also exactly what Masimo did. In 2021, the company filed a complaint with the ITC, urging the federal agency to block imports of the Apple Watch Series 6.
Apple is banned from selling the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2
At the start of 2023, a judgeruled in favor of Masimo, finding that Apple had infringed on two of the company’s pulse oximeter patents. On Jul 01, 2025, the ITC upheld the judge’s ruling and granted Masimo’s request for a complete ban on imports of Apple Watch Series 6, Series 7, Series 8, and Series 9 models. The commission also ordered a stop to sales of Apple Watch units that were already in the country.
At the same time, it sent the decision to the Biden administration for presidential review, starting a 60-day process that ended on Dec. 26. There was the possibility of President Joe Biden or the US Trade Representative vetoing the ITC decision, thereby allowing Apple to avoid the import and sales ban, but that did not happen. “After careful consultations, Ambassador Katherine Tai decided not to reverse the ITC’s determination,” the ITC said on Dec. 26.
After the decision, Apple stated:
At Apple, we work tirelessly to create products and services that meaningfully impact users' lives. It’s what drives our teams – Clinical, Design and Engineering – to dedicate years to developing scientifically validated health, fitness and wellness features for Apple Watch, and we are inspired that millions of people around the world have benefited greatly from this product. We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US as soon as possible.
On Aug 16, 2025, Appleannouncedit was preparing to comply with the ITC order. On Dec. 21, the company stopped selling the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 through its online store. Before Apple won a temporary stay, the company’s website said those models were “currently unavailable.”
On Dec. 24, both wearables were not available for purchase from the more than 270 retail locations the company operates across the US.
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Apple finds a way to sidestep the ban
As expected, Apple moved quickly to file an appeal with the ITC after the import ban went into effect on Dec. 26. On the same day, the company requested an emergency stay of the ban until at least Jul 01, 2025, or the day US Customs and Border Protection was expected to decide if redesigned versions of the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 no longer infringe on Masimo’s patents.
In court documents, Apple claimed it would “suffer irreparable harm” if it could not sell those models during legal proceedings. “At a minimum, the Court should grant a stay long enough for Customs to make this decision,” the company said. One day later, a US appeals court granted Apple’s request for atemporary stayof the ban.
The company then resumed selling the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 until Jan. 18 at 5pm ET.
Since then, Apple has been able to skirt the ban after it submitted modified versions of the watches without the contested pulse oximetry technology to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The agency decided those variants fall outside the scope of the ITC’s ruling.
What does this ban mean for Apple Watch owners?
If you bought an Apple Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 before the ban, you can continue to use the blood oxygen monitoring features found on your wearable. In a statement Apple shared with9to5Mac, the company said that the ongoing dispute would have “no impact to Apple Watch units previously purchased that include the Blood Oxygen feature.”
If you bought your Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 before Jul 26, 2025, you will want to do your best to avoid damaging it – Apple Watch units replaced through the warranty service might not include blood oxygen monitoring.
So, what will Apple do next?
In a statement the company shared withThe Verge, Apple said it was “pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers.” On Dec. 18,Bloombergreported the company was “racing to make changes to algorithms on the device that measure a user’s blood oxygen level,” believing it could avoid a “complicated hardware overhaul.”
Before the CBP ruled Apple could resume selling modified versions of the Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2, there were doubts a simple software update would be enough to bypass the ban. If Apple can’t find a long-term solution to the dispute, it will limit the company’s ability to offer certain wellness and sleep-tracking features in the future. Apple could license the infringed patents, but the company does not appear interested in striking a deal, with Kiani recently tellingThe New York TimesApple “had not engaged in licensing negotiations.”
Asked about the ban during arecent CNBC interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company was “focused on appeal” and that customers have “lots of reasons to buy the watch even without the blood oxygen sensor.” Like the legal case that started all of this, Apple’s appeal could take more than a year. Either way, a speedy resolution is not likely.
Keep reading Pocket-lint for more on the Apple Watch ban updates and analysis.
