"Dream - Apple temporarily halted the sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 in the United States (US). The sales halt began on Thursday, December 21, 2023, on the website and then on December 24 at around 270 physical stores. The reason for the halt is said to be due to Apple devices infringing on Masimo's patent (a medical technology company)."

The decision to halt sales also caused Apple shares to drop by less than 1% on Monday. Its shares were nearly unchanged in pre-market trading on Tuesday at $196. Masimo shares rose by 3.2% on Monday. In a statement, Masimo said that the decision to ban Apple Watch models shows that even the strongest companies in the world must comply with the law.

The blood oxygen feature was first added to the Apple Watch in 2020 with the Series 6 model. At that time, the coronavirus pandemic was underway, and some doctors were using blood oxygen levels to assess the virus's impact on patients' ability to breathe.

The company needs to ensure that any changes will not damage other features of the smart watch. In this scenario, Apple needs to remove hardware from its device. Producing and shipping a new model could take at least three months, according to one person familiar with the company's operations. And that does not include how long it will take for customs authorities to approve the move.