The ban on sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra Series 2 also prevents many watches from being repaired

Due to a patent dispute with Masimo, Apple has already been forced to stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra Series 2 in the US: since 21 December, the watches are not available on the official website, and from tomorrow, 24 December, they will disappear from the shelves of Apple shops. However, as it turns out, this ban also affects the repair of many Apple Watch models.

Details

Apple has informed customer service staff that out-of-warranty repairs and full gadget replacements will not be available for Apple Watch Series 6 and later versions (excluding SE) for the duration of the ban. When these restrictions are lifted, the company will send notifications to customers.

We emphasise that smartwatches with a warranty or AppleCare Plus extended programme will not be affected by the ban - they can be repaired.

The patent dispute concerns the blood oxygen level sensor, which debuted in the Apple Watch Series 6 and is built into almost all newer models. Apple wants to develop an update to address the issue, but Masimo representatives said the problem is mostly hardware-related and would require more in-depth changes.

Source: Bloomberg