Apple makes surprise decision to pause some Watch sales before Christmas over patent dispute

Apple has made a surprise decision to pause some sales of its Watch products before Christmas due to a patent dispute with a Chinese company.

The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed by Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. against Apple over alleged infringement of the Chinese company’s patents related to the Watch’s signature sports band. The lawsuit was filed in October, and Apple has decided to voluntarily pause sales of the Watch’s bands in stores and online.

The move comes just before the holiday shopping season, when many people rejoice the arrival of the world’s most popular smartwatch.

Though sales of the bands are on hold, Apple has said that it is not suspending sales of the Watch itself. Customers who have already purchased the bands are not affected.

The dispute is not expected to have a significant impact on Apple as the Watch still accounts for about 10 percent of the company’s revenue. However, it could delay future versions of the Watch if the patents remain in dispute.

Apple has not yet publicly commented on the situation, but the company is believed to be in talks with Huawei to reach a resolution.