Exciting Announcement: Will President Biden Unveil a Christmas Gift for Apple Tomorrow?

Apple has stopped selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US. These watches are no longer available on the online Apple Store, and they will also be removed from physical Apple Stores in the US. The ban came after the International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Apple had infringed on patents held by Masimo for the pulse oximeter used in the watches.

The import ban on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will end on Christmas Day, following a 60-day presidential review period. If the president does not veto the exclusion order, Apple can try to bring back the watches by disabling the pulse oximeter or reaching a settlement with Masimo to license the patent.

Masimo CEO Joe Kiani has stated that he wants an apology from Apple before entering into settlement talks. Meanwhile, Apple engineers are working on new software related to the pulse oximeter that does not infringe on Masimo’s patents. However, it is unlikely that software changes will allow Apple to bypass the import ban, as the patents are mostly hardware-related.

The pulse oximeter measures the saturation of oxygen in a person’s red blood cells, and abnormal readings can indicate health issues. As Christmas Day approaches, there is anticipation around whether President Biden will make an announcement about vetoing the exclusion order, similar to previous acts of presidential intervention in patent disputes involving technology companies.

In the past, President Obama vetoed a ban on the sale of certain Apple products after a ruling against the company by the ITC. As for President Biden’s stance on the current situation, the White House has given no indication of which way he may be leaning. For now, the only place to find the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US is at stores like Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon until they sell out. Apple’s fate with these watches remains uncertain as the Christmas deadline approaches.