Tech giant Apple announced today that it will temporarily halt sales of certain models of the Apple Watch in the United States due to an ongoing patent dispute.
The suspended watches include Series 6, SE, and some earlier models that have mobile data connectivity enabled through an eSIM card. These watches allow users to access data services directly from their wrist without needing an iPhone nearby.
The halt comes after Apple lost a patent lawsuit last month brought by Optis Cellular Technology over wireless communication technologies used in the watches. A federal judge ruled that Apple infringed on two of Optis’ patents and said Apple must pay $300 million in damages.
While Apple is appealing the ruling, the judge also granted Optis’ request for an injunction against further sales and imports of the watches involved. Apple says it is “already working on next-generation devices that avoid the patent claims.”
For now, Apple will still sell Apple Watch models equipped only with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The mobile data-enabled watches make up about 20 percent of Apple’s smartwatch sales in the US.
The suspension of sales highlights the contentious fights tech companies wage over innovations in consumer electronics. Both sides are likely to continue battling over the wireless patents for years to come as smartwatches become more advanced and widely adopted.
In the meantime, Apple fans seeking the cellular version of the latest Apple Watch will have to wait or look to secondary markets while Apple reworks the watches’ wireless components.
