WASHINGTON — Apple is pausing sales of its latest Apple Watch products later this week.
The tech giant's decision comes amid a patent dispute over the devices' blood oxygen tracking feature. Apple confirmed to CBS News and CNN that it was "preemptively taking steps to comply" should the ruling from the U.S. International Trade Commission over the patent dispute stand.
Sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, the latest launches of the devices, will be halted on Thursday, Dec. 21 for Apple.com and on Sunday, Dec. 24 for retail locations. The decision comes just days before Christmas.
"Apple strongly disagrees with the order and is pursuing a range of legal and technical options to ensure that Apple Watch is available to customers," the company told CNN on Monday.
Apple and medical tech company Masimo have been in an ongoing legal dispute over the blood oxygen feature. The ITC issued an order in late October that could potentially ban Apple from importing its watches after it found the devices violated Masimo's patent rights, Reuters reports.
The White House had 60 days to review the ITC order issued on Oct. 26, meaning Apple could have kept selling the two affected models in the U.S. through Christmas. But the Cupertino, California, company said in a Monday statement that it is pausing sales early to ensure it complies with the ITC order.
If the ITC's sales ban isn't overturned, Apple pledged to “take all measures” to resume sales of the Series 9 and Ultra 2 models in the U.S. as soon as possible.
The Apple Watch SE, which lacks the Blood Oxygen feature, will remain on sale in the U.S. after Christmas Eve. Previously purchased Apple Watches equipped with the Blood Oxygen aren't affected by the ITC order.
Apple launched the Series 9 and Ultra 2 in September. The Series 9 includes a new gesture control that enables users to control alarms and answer phone calls by double snapping their thumbs with a finger.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
