The Apple Watch SE is still available, though.

Apple is now banned from selling its latest Apple Watches in the US::Apple can no longer sell the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Watch Series 9 in the US. The International Trade Commission issued an import ban on the devices that took effect on December 26th, 2023.

  • AnneBonny@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    353·
    11 months ago

    The ban only affects Apple stores in the US. That means customers can still get their hands on a Watch Series 9 or Watch Ultra 2 at Best Buy, Target, and other retailers while supplies last. Apple will also continue selling the Watch SE, as it doesn’t come with a blood oxygen sensor.

    That seems a bit lax.

    • psycotica0@lemmy.caEnglish
      382·
      11 months ago

      Well… That’s actually probably fair as stated.

      BestBuy etc don’t sell Apple’s products on commission, they bought them from Apple for a wholesale price, they’ve got them in a warehouse and on shelves right now on their dime, and the only way they make that money back is by selling them.

      And the only way Apple makes money from a product being sold at Best Buy is that Best Buy will likely buy more stock to replace the stuff they sold, and they’ll buy that from Apple.

      So if it was banned everywhere it would be unfair to the retailers that already paid Apple for a product they now can’t recoup, and it wouldn’t impact Apple at all because they already made their money from Best Buy.

      This way the retailers can get their money back, but can’t get any more, which means only Apple is impacted.

      The only other way that’s semi-fair (but would be extreme) would be for Apple to be forced to do a recall or something and reimburse all the retailers the money they had already spent. Doable, and definitely more of a punishment for Apple, but a lot of extra work for everyone if the outcome of this is that Apple settles and then everyone can just go back to ordering more again.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      24·
      11 months ago

      The key phrase is “while supplies last”. They can’t import more, so third party resellers can only get rid of what they already have.