Apple Watch US sales resume following import ban appeal

Apple can resume sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the US, with the tech giant's import ban paused following an emergency appeal.

The company's latest smartwatches had been unavailable in its stores following a patent dispute, with health tech startup Masimo accusing Apple of infringing its technology and poaching staff.

Last month, the White House refused to veto the US International Trade Commission's (USITC) ruling from October, which relates to the blood oxygen (SpO2) sensor first introduced on the Apple Watch Series 6.

Following an emergency request in the US Court of Appeals, however, the sales and import ban that was in place from 26 December has now been lifted.

Apple pre-emptively removed devices from its online store on 21 December, and both smartwatches have been unavailable in-store since. Now, they will make a return.

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As of yet, however, it's unclear how long the sales will last.

This is a temporary pause while Apple waits to hear whether proposed changes to its watches would avoid patent issues - a ruling that is due on 12 January.

Further to that, the court is also considering whether the ban should be put on hold until it can rule on the wider patent between Masimo and Apple, which could see it delayed by a few months more.

Despite the good news for Apple, then, this one is far from over. And it's still very possible that the row will result in design tweaks for the next generation of Apple Watch models. 

Stay tuned for more on 12 January.