Why You Should Buy the New Apple Watch Before It's Banned for Good

Starting December 21 (tomorrow!), Apple will no longer be selling their Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Why, you may ask? Well, these two products have been flagged for potential patent infringement, meaning they soon won’t be available online or on shelves. Let’s dive into why, the features these two watches have, and why you may want to snag one for yourself before they’re gone for good (and save money shopping in the process).

What to know about the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2

The Apple Watch Series 9 has a new double-tap feature for easily answering calls or bringing up the watch’s SmartStack, without even touching the watch. This opens up a whole new list of possibilities in being able to use your watch while your hands are full, or while you are completing other activities. 

These watches also come in a bundle of new colors, including pink aluminum, product red, midnight, and silver. The watch also features the most powerful chip in an Apple Watch, ever. And, if you're a protector of the environment, it's important to know that these watches are billed as being the first-ever carbon-neutral Apple product. 

Plus, the Ultra 2’s screen is slightly bigger than past models and has more processing power, making this a popular choice for fitness and sports enthusiasts. It still has its curved “waterfall” edges and a variety of bands to choose from, and the Depth app now has a feature to save diving session logs in its fitness app.

Why these watches have been banned

So, why are these products getting pulled? Well, it’s because there’s a dispute on one of the features included with both of these watches. Masimo, a medical technology company, has a patent on smartwatches with blood oxygen sensors, which Apple seems to violate. 

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) wants to block the sale of these two models for their use of the blood oxygen sensor. That means on December 21, customers will no longer be able to purchase these watches on Apple’s website, and by December 24, they’ll be gone from all Apple retail locations. That makes it a great holiday gift to snag while you can.

Why you should buy now

If you like all of the usual features of an Apple watch and are interested in the blood oxygen sensor, then now is the time to act before this product is pulled. And with many more advanced features on these watches, this patent dispute could make things difficult for the future of the Apple Watch, as a whole. 

Plus, many stores, like Best Buy, are offering discounts on these watches for a limited time since many won't be able to sell them anymore, and possibly never again. That makes today the best day to go out and find the right deal on your new Apple Watch before you miss out on ever owning one, and you might be able to keep more money in your wallet for the holidays. 

Bottom line

You could say you’ve got a rare Apple watch once these are gone for good. If Apple and Masimo don’t settle their dispute, these also may become the only watches compatible with your iPhone to have blood oxygen sensors. Grabbing these while they’re still available these next few days is a must, especially since many new features could also fall by the wayside if this patent dispute causes a delay for future models.