Apple released the final version of watchOS 11 last night after three months of beta testing. The biggest new feature is none other than sleep apnea detection, now available on Apple Watch Series 10, Series 9, and Ultra 2 in more than 150 countries and regions, according to the company.
Good news for Apple Watch users
Among the countries covered These include France (including Mayotte, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Réunion), Belgium, Switzerland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, and many others. However, Australia and Canada do not yet benefit from this feature, nor do Algeria, Morocco, or Tunisia, as Apple is awaiting the necessary regulatory approval in these regions.
As explained last week, sleep apnea, a disorder that interrupts breathing during sleep, can be serious. Apple explains that the detection uses the Apple Watch’s accelerometer to “monitor small wrist movements associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns.” If these interruptions occur frequently over multiple nights, they may indicate a risk of sleep apnea.
Users can view their nighttime breathing disturbances in the Health app on iPhone, with disturbances classified as “elevated” or “not elevated.”
Apple says the feature was developed using “advanced machine learning” and a “large dataset of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests” and then validated in a “clinical study.” The company says the feature is intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in people aged 18 and over who have not previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea.
Better yet, Apple recently received FDA clearance for this feature in the United States, and the company shared a document describing the development and validation of the feature. So it’s a real medical device.
The new Apple Watch Series 10 will launch on Friday, while the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were released last year.
