With Biden finalizing an Apple Watch ban, Apple needs to decide its future in health

An import ban of certain Apple Watches officially goes into effect on Tuesday, after the U.S. International Trade Commission deemed the blood oxygen measurement feature too similar to products patented by pulse oximetry company Masimo. It’s the first time Apple has ever faced such a ban.

President Biden had the chance to veto the ban until Christmas day, but he didn’t, as a statement from his trade representative made clear Tuesday morning. Now, Apple has to decide how much it values this feature, and if it’s willing to take a hit on its journey to establish the Apple Watch as a necessary public health tool.

“We strongly disagree with the USITC decision and resulting exclusion order, and are taking all measures to return Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the U.S. as soon as possible,” Apple spokesperson Nikki Rothberg wrote in an email to STAT.

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