Apple to halt sales of latest smartwatches over patent dispute

The move centers on the devices' blood-oxygen sensor.

Apple will halt sales of new models of its smartwatch due to a patent dispute, the company announced on Monday.

The move, which affects Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, centers on the devices' blood-oxygen sensor.

In October, a federal trade agency found that Apple violated the patent of California-based medical technology company Masimo. The ruling set off a 60-day review period for the Biden administration, which ends on Dec. 25.

Apple has decided to preemptively stop sales of the smartwatches, the company.

"Apple's teams work tirelessly to create products and services that empower users with industry-leading health, wellness, and safety features," according to the company's statement. "Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers."