At the end of October this year, according to Reuters, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) issued the latest ban, which may prohibit Apple from selling Apple Watch products in the United States.

In a statement to the media, Apple announced that it will stop selling its Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 smartwatches in the United States later this week. The decision follows a patent dispute between Apple and medical device company Masimo.

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will no longer be available for purchase from Apple's US website, starting at 3pm Eastern Time on December 21. The stock of the two products in Apple retail stores will not be replenished after they are sold out on December 24. The move is certainly a major blow for Apple, as the Apple Watch has been one of the most popular products in the smart wear space. 
It is understood that Apple stopped selling some Apple Watches because of a patent dispute with medical device company Masimo. In October 2023, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) issued a ruling that found two Apple Watch Watches infringed some of Masimo's patents on blood oxygen sensors, and therefore required Apple to "cease and terminate" the export and sale of its Apple Watch with blood oxygen detection.
Masimo first sued Apple in 2020, claiming the Apple Watch infringed 10 patents and also allegedly stole trade secrets by hiring key personnel. Masimo then sued again in 2021, arguing that the Apple Watch Series 6 should be banned from sale because the device infringed five patents on blood oxygen measurement technology. 

Apple is once again embroiled in a power dispute, with some models of the Apple Watch being withdrawn from sale in the US

The case is not yet closed and still needs to be referred to the relevant agencies for a 60-day review before it can be settled. The deadline for the review is Dec. 25, and Apple has until then to comply with the ITC's decision to stop selling two watches pending a final outcome.
In response, Apple has also filed a countersuit against Masimo. In October 2022, Apple accused Masimo of infringing a number of Apple patents with its W1 series smartwatches. It was during the previous lawsuit that Masimo "carefully studied Apple's intellectual property" and obtained confidential information to develop the W1 series of smartwatches, Apple said. The counterclaim further strained relations between the two parties.
For Apple's decision, consumers and the industry have expressed concern and concern. On the one hand, consumers are worried that they will not be able to buy their favorite Apple Watch products; On the other hand, the industry has also expressed concerns about Apple's future development, believing that this incident may have a negative impact on Apple's reputation and market share.
However, Apple emphasized in its statement that the ITC ban only affects sales of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 products equipped with blood oxygen monitoring sensors, while low-end Apple Watch SE series watches lacking the sensor are not affected. In addition, because the ban only restricts Apple's official direct sales of two Apple Watches, consumers can also buy related products from other sales channels such as Amazon.