In a significant development, Apple is no longer able to sell its Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 in the United States after President Joe Biden's administration chose not to veto the ban. The decision follows Apple's removal of both devices from its website on December 21 and store shelves after December 24.

The office of US Trade Representative Catherine Tay, in a statement, affirmed the agency's decision not to reverse the International Trade Commission's decision after careful consideration. Apple, in response, expressed strong disagreement with the USITC's decision and the resulting exclusion order. The tech giant is now taking steps to return the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 to customers in the US, citing an ongoing appeal against the ITC decision.

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The ITC imposed the ban after it was found to have infringed Apple's blood oxygen saturation technology patent owned by Massimo. In addition to stopping the sale of the infringing devices, the ITC also ordered Apple to stop the sale of previously imported devices incorporating the patented technology. Attempts to block Apple's decision were rebuffed by the ITC, and the last resort, a veto from President Joe Biden, did not materialize.

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It's important to note that the ban only affects Apple Stores in the US, meaning customers can still purchase the Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 at retailers like Best Buy and Target while supplies last. Apple will continue to sell the Watch SE, which does not have a blood oxygen sensor.

The article explores potential avenues Apple could take, including making software changes to the blood oxygen sensor or settling with Massimo. However, uncertainty remains about the company's actions in response to the ban.