The soon-to-debut Apple Watch Series 10 will include a new sleep apnea detection feature, although it may not be available when the new model launches, according to a report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Gurman says that for the first time in two years, the company will debut updated versions of all of its Apple Watch models at once. The Cupertino firm will unveil a new low-end Apple Watch SE, a mid-level Series 10 model and an Ultra 3.
Gurman says one of the new features of the new Apple Watch Series 10 will be sleep apnea protection, which builds on the Apple Watch’s existing sleep tracking features. The new feature will attempt to determine if a user has sleep apnea and if it detects the condition it will suggest the user contact a medical professional.
Gurman has previously expressed doubts that the Sleep Apnea feature would make it into this year’s Apple Watch models. saying that Apple’s efforts hadn’t gone smoothly and that it had “run into some serious snags.”
The “snags” were reportedly connected to the sleep apnea detection feature’s reliance on blood oxygen saturation. Apple Watches in the United States are currently unable to measure blood oxygen saturation, due to Apple’s ongoing legal dispute with Masimo.
At the time, Gurman suggested that the legal battle with Masimo could be settled by September, or that perhaps Apple could find a way around it by arguing that the blood oxygen sensor could be used for purposes that are not directly related to blood oxygen levels. If the legal gods smile on Apple, the sleep apnea detection feature could come in the form of a software update to the Apple Watch Series 10, as the blood oxygen detection hardware is still present in the Apple Watch, it simply is disabled.
Gurman also mentioned Apple’s widely-rumored high blood pressure detection feature, saying signs point to that feature being delayed and it is “no longer in the cards for an immediate release.”
The Apple Watch Series 10 is expected to be similar to the Apple Watch Series 9, released last year. Although Gurman says the new models will have slightly larger screen-size options and the watch case itself is said to be noticeably thinner.
Apple is expected to unveil the new Apple Watch models alongside the iPhone 16 at its “It’s Glowtime” event, which is scheduled to kick off at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1:00p.m.Eastern Time) on Monday, September 9.
