Apple stops repair of out-of-warranty, older Watch models amid sale ban triggered by patent dispute

In a recent development, Apple has communicated to its customer service teams via a company memo that it will no longer provide replacements for out-of-warranty models, including those of Apple Watch Series 6 and onwards, according to a report by Bloomberg News on Thursday. This decision follows Apple’s announcement on Monday that it would temporarily halt the sales of its Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches in the US The pause in sales is attributed to an ongoing patent dispute related to the technology facilitating the blood oxygen feature on these devices. As a result, these two watch models are currently unavailable for purchase on Apple’s US website. The Bloomberg News report notes that customers seeking assistance for issues such as a broken screen will no longer be eligible for out-of-warranty replacements. However, Apple will still offer support for problems that can be addressed through software solutions, such as reinstalling the operating system. According to the report, Apple representatives have been instructed to inform affected customers that they will be contacted once the company resumes hardware replacements. In the interim, the tech giant is focusing on providing alternative forms of assistance that do not involve physical device replacements. This move comes as Apple navigates the complexities of a patent dispute, impacting the availability of certain smartwatch models and the scope of customer service offerings for older devices. Users with hardware issues on their out-of-warranty Apple Watches are advised to await further communication from the company regarding the resumption of hardware replacement services.