Well that was quick: Apple Watch is back. Here's where to get one
Some Apple Watches were briefly pulled from Apple stores, but you can still get them at Amazon and Walmart.
by Rachael Green · CBS SportsIf you've been thinking about upgrading to the Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, the time to act is now. Yes, the briefly-banned watches are back in Apple stores at the moment and will be available on Apple's website starting today. The resumed sales are possible thanks to a brand-new appeals court ruling that will likely keep affected models available through at least January 10. But after that, it's not clear what will happen. Want to make sure you get the Watch 9 or the Ultra 2? Click the button below to get started.
Why were Apple Watches pulled from stores?
Apple got tangled up in a patent infringement lawsuit with Masimo, a medical technology company. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in favor of Masimo in October, saying Apple's use of pulse oximeter technology (blood oxygen measuring) in the Apple Watch violates Masimo's patent. As part of that ruling, the ITC banned imports of the popular smartwatches into the United States.
President Biden's administration did not veto the ITC order, allowing the import ban to go into effect on Monday, Dec. 25, 2023. Then, on December 27, an appeals court offered Apple a reprieve. The court gave the ITC until January 10 to respond to Apple's request for a longer stay while the issue moves through the courts.
Meanwhile, on January 12, the U.S. is expected to issue its decision on whether the design changes Apple has proposed for its watches would be enough to sidestep the patent dispute that led to the ban. If so, the revamped watches would come on the market soon after, finally putting fears of a longer ban to rest. If not, customers could see the import ban go back into effect until Apple comes up with a better fix.
How to get a new Apple Watch before another possible ban
If you want to get a new Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Ultra 2, you've got time now. How much time, though? After January 10, it's not clear. Meantime, we're seeing the popular models right now on Amazon, Walmart and other top online retailers.
Get the Apple Watch 9 at Walmart or Amazon while you can
Siri Health may be the best new upgrade in the Apple Watch 9. It makes starting your workouts and getting status updates along the way a breeze. Instead of navigating the watch screen, just say "Siri, start an outdoor run workout" or "Siri, start a yoga workout." Your new watch will immediately start tracking the activity, even when you're not connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network. You can also ask Siri for updates during a session like what your current heart rate is or how much distance you've covered so far.
This makes the Apple Watch 9 a great choice for people who need to interact with their watch during workouts to check stats or start and stop timers. The hands-free functionality will seriously improve your workout experience so you can accurately log your activity without having to fuss with your watch.
It's also a great smartwatch option for the multi-taskers. If you tend to squeeze in your exercise during the workday, for example, the ability to answer calls or reply to emails without having to stop your workout is a game changer.
You can get it at Amazon and Walmart for as low as $399 for the 41mm size of the Wi-Fi version.
$399 at Amazon $399 at Walmart
The larger 45mm size is also at Amazon and Walmart. Get the larger size for as low as $419 at Amazon this week.
$419 at Amazon $429 at Walmart
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is still available at Amazon
The new Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49 mm) boasts all sorts of great upgrades on top of the Apple Watch 9. Aside from the brighter screen (3,000 nits!), one of our favorite upgrades is the customizable watch face.
Modular Ultra, the watch face on the new Ultra, lets you customize which metrics and performance data are displayed on your watch. Each widget on the face can be customized to display whichever data you need so you don't have to toggle between screens anymore. Everything you need to check is on one screen.
It also boasts improved depth and altitude tolerance. Dive down as far as 100 meters (about 325 feet) or scale mountains as high as 9,000 meters (about 29,500 feet) above sea level. Since the tallest peak on earth is Mount Everest's 8,848-meter peak, that means you can take this to the top of literally any mountain on the planet.
The new built-in Depth app logs your dives and lets you review your most recent sessions on the watch. From your phone, you can see your complete dive history, complete with GPS pinpointed entry point.
You can get the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at Amazon.
Will the Apple Watch 9 disappear again?
Even though the ITC ruled in favor of Masimo in the recent patent case, Apple has no intention of giving up on its popular smartwatch. But so far, it looks like Apple will have to change the technology it uses to track blood oxygen monitoring. So the version that enters the market after this tech change will be different than the one in stores now.
One way to avoid changing the design is for Apple to win its appeal of the court's ruling in the patent infringement case. As the company navigates the legal and technical process of getting its popular smartwatch cleared for sale, customers could end up seeing the Apple Watch disappear again, at least temporarily, before it's back on the market permanently. Time, they say, will tell.