As promised, Apple has formally eliminated the Watch Sequence 9 from its on-line store. Phrase on the shock transfer arrived earlier this week, when the corporate confirmed that an on-going patent dispute has compelled it to pause gross sales of the flagship smartwatch. Click on by way of to the positioning, and also you’ll discover the phrases “Currently Unavailable” within the place of a Purchase button.

The Apple Watch Extremely 2 is equally unavailable. You’ll be able to, nevertheless, nonetheless purchase the entry-level Apple Watch SE, seemingly owing to the product’s comparatively restricted on-board well being metrics. You can even nonetheless choose up the Sequence 9 by way of different on-line sources. Amazon, as an illustration, remains to be promising a pre-Christmas supply in some areas.

The wearable can even nonetheless be accessible at brick and mortal Apple Retailer places till Christmas Eve. If you happen to already ordered the watch on-line for an in-store pickup, you’ll be able to nonetheless achieve this by way of December 24, the corporate confirmed with TechCrunch.

Apple’s patent battle with well being tech firm Masimo has been nicely documented for the previous couple of yr. Even whereas Apple misplaced a number of key rulings, nevertheless, Monday’s announcement nonetheless got here as a shock to many, given its unprecedented nature.

In a press release supplied to TechCrunch earlier this week, the corporate famous that it might proceed to combat the choices,

A Presidential Assessment Interval is in progress concerning an order from the U.S. Worldwide Commerce Fee on a technical mental property dispute pertaining to Apple Watch units containing the Blood Oxygen function. Whereas the evaluate interval won’t finish till December 25, Apple is preemptively taking steps to conform ought to the ruling stand. This consists of pausing gross sales of Apple Watch Sequence 9 and Apple Watch Extremely 2 from Apple.com beginning December 21, and from Apple retail places after December 24.

Apple’s groups work tirelessly to create services and products that empower customers with industry-leading well being, wellness, and security options. Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a variety of authorized and technical choices to make sure that Apple Watch is obtainable to clients.

Ought to the order stand, Apple will proceed to take all measures to return Apple Watch Sequence 9 and Apple Watch Extremely 2 to clients within the U.S. as quickly as potential.

On the coronary heart of the battle is an optical picture sensor used to observe a wearer’s coronary heart fee. Apple has employed comparable know-how relationship again to 2020 with the arrival of the Sequence 6. Amongst different issues, Masimo has accused the {hardware} large poaching key expertise. It claims that Apple, “began hiring Masimo employees, starting with Masimo’s Chief Medical Officer.”

There’s by no means a good time to cease promoting certainly one of your greatest merchandise, however the vacation season is very problematic. Whereas Apple was in a position to maintain gross sales open all the way down to the wire, some of us might discover themselves unwrapping a raincheck this yr.