CNBC confirms that Apple has discontinued the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches in its U.S. online store. After December 24, 2023, the vendor will no longer be offering any of its Apple Watch units with the capability to measure blood oxygen levels in the U.S. Apple's stock dropped slightly on Thursday.Apple has ceased offering the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches on its U.S. website, CNBC reported Thursday.The product page for these models is now featuring a promotional image for the Apple Watch SE, a more affordable model first introduced in 2022 and not related to this patent dispute.Apple had previously announced it would discontinue the sale of its latest Watch models on its website after Sunday and in Apple stores. The Apple Watch SE is still available for purchase.A notice on Apple's product pages states that as of December 24, 2023, the tech giant will no longer be selling Apple Watch units in the United States with the ability to measure blood oxygen. This decision has been implemented due to a ruling from the International Trade Commission in October that found the device's blood oxygen sensor had infringed on intellectual property from Masimo, a medical technology company.The stall in sales means Apple has stopped selling the most recent installments of one of its most in-demand items in its biggest market just before the busiest time of year for Apple purchases.Furthermore, in-warranty hardware swaps may become difficult for users without access to new models, per Bloomberg.An Apple representative did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.Shares of Apple were down slightly during trading on Thursday.President Joe Biden still has the ability to veto the ITC ban before Christmas, however, the White House has stated that the determination will be made by U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted Tuesday that Ambassador Tai is "carefully considering all of the factors in this case."
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