Apple has announced in a statement to 9to5Mac that the company will stop selling the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 in the US from Apple’s website in after 3pm ET on December 21, 2023. You will still be able to but it in-store until December 24, but then physical sales will end too.

Yes – it’ll completely halt sales of the best Apple Watches in the week right before Christmas. It’s the result of a patent battle between Apple and a company called Masimo over the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch, which has resulted in a ruling from the International Trade Commission against Apple, leading to this ban – though Apple is not out of ways to appeal yet.

However, it may not help that Apple also lost a patent ruling fight with a company named AliveCor which also hangs over this whole affair.

This story is developing…