By now you have almost certainly heard that gross sales of the Apple Watch 9 and the Apple Watch Extremely 2 have been halted within the US, as a consequence of ongoing authorized wranglings over patent infringements – and it appears to be like as if the ban goes to have an effect on watch repairs and replacements too.

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple is not going to have the ability to restore {hardware} points (resembling damaged screens) on any Apple smartwatch that’s out of its normal one-year guarantee, all the best way again to the Apple Watch 6 that launched in 2020.

Apple goes to contact prospects when replacements might be provided once more, as per an worker memo seen by Bloomberg. Help with points regarding the software program on the Apple Watch can nonetheless be provided, nevertheless.

What’s extra, in case you have an Apple Watch that is nonetheless inside its 14-day return interval, you are not going to have the ability to swap it for one more mannequin (a special colour or dimension, for instance) – however refunds will nonetheless be accepted whereas the ban is in place.

The saga continues

It is all an enormous headache for Apple, because it battles the patent claims made by an organization known as Masimo. Masimo insists that the know-how Apple is utilizing within the blood oxygen sensor within the Apple Watch infringes by itself patents.

In the intervening time, it isn’t clear how lengthy it will take for the authorized course of to play out – however the Worldwide Commerce Fee (ITC) within the US has determined that there is sufficient benefit within the claims to impose a ban on the most recent Apple Watch fashions.

Apple is not allowed to import any extra of its smartwatches into the US from its producers both – so whereas third-party retailers are going to have the ability to carry on promoting the wearables in the intervening time, these shares aren’t going to final perpetually.

Little doubt there are a number of people who find themselves going to be unwrapping a model new Apple Watch over the vacation interval: as these will nonetheless be in guarantee, repairs and replacements might be accessible, however those that’ve had a look ahead to some time is likely to be out of luck.

You may also like

• The perfect smartwatch offers on the net proper now
• All of your questions answered in regards to the Apple Watch ban
• This is our full evaluation of the Apple Watch Collection 9