Monday will mark the kickoff of WWDC24 and Apple will debut a host of new features for its many operating systems, and watchOS 11 is no exception. Apple is expected to unveil a new watchOS 11 feature that is sure to be appreciated by users with high blood pressure, but unfortunately, those users will need to purchase a new Apple Watch to make use of the new feature.
Mark Gurman writes for Bloomberg:
The Health app is getting some upgrades, including improved blood pressure data management — in preparation for future Apple Watches to have hypertension detection.
The new feature will only be accessible with upcoming Apple Watch hardware that will include a blood pressure sensor.
Gurman says Apple will introduce a major new health sensor into this fall’s Apple Watch Series 10. However, as noted by Gurman last November, the first iteration of the blood pressure technology won’t provide exact systolic and diastolic readings.
The planned addition of a blood pressure sensor to the Apple Watch next year is a pathbreaking technology. In its first iteration, however, the system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward and to offer a journal for the user to jot down what was happening when hypertension occurred. To avoid potentially giving a misdiagnosis, the feature will then direct a user to talk to their doctor or check their blood pressure with a traditional cuff, which can provide exact systolic and diastolic measurements. A future version of the system is in the works with an ability to provide exact numbers — and even diagnose related conditions.