Andrew Orr
Apple introduced new health features in its latest software and hardware at the iPhone 16 event. These features focus on improving sleep and hearing health, two areas that impact billions of people globally.
The company announced plenty of new features and devices on Monday during its iPhone 16 event. Aside from new iPhones, they include the Apple Watch Series 10, updated Apple Watch Ultra 2, and various new models of AirPods.
Additionally, Apple highlighted some of the health features coming to its devices.
Sleep Apnea detection on Apple Watch
One of the most significant new health capabilities is the introduction of sleep apnea notifications on the Apple Watch. Sleep apnea, a condition where breathing stops momentarily during sleep, affects over a billion people worldwide, many of whom go undiagnosed.
Apple Watch's new Breathing Disturbances metric uses advanced machine learning to detect wrist movements that signal interruptions in standard breathing patterns during sleep. Every 30 days, the device analyzes the user's data and alerts them if there are consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.
Apple Watch continues monitoring other key overnight metrics, such as heart and respiratory rates. Users can track their sleep quality over one-month, six-month, and one-year periods.
These features are supported on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Hearing health with AirPods Pro 2
Apple has also refined hearing health with the AirPods Pro 2. While not a new model, they will get an update to offer a comprehensive hearing experience through Hearing Protection, Hearing Tests, and Hearing Aid features.
First, the Hearing Protection feature helps reduce environmental noise, ensuring users are not exposed to damaging sound levels while preserving sound quality for important events like concerts. Protection works automatically across all listening modes by reducing loud, intermittent noises 48,000 times per second.
The Hearing Test allows users to conduct a clinical-grade hearing test from the comfort of their own homes. Based on pure-tone audiometry, users receive detailed results, including an audiogram, which can be shared with healthcare providers.
For those diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss, the AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid feature offers an over-the-counter solution. The software-based hearing aid adapts in real time to boost surrounding sounds, enabling better conversations and environmental awareness.
This technology allows users to enhance their listening experience across all media types, such as music and phone calls, without manually adjusting settings.
Additional health features
Apple has introduced several other health-related updates. The Vitals app on Apple Watch offers users a daily overview of key health metrics like heart rate and respiratory rate. At the same time, the Cycle Tracking feature now includes additional support for pregnant users, such as the ability to view gestational age and log symptoms.
The company has also enhanced mental wellness tracking by allowing users to save journaling activities as mindful minutes.
The Apple Watch Series 10 will be available on September 20, 2024 from $399. AirPods Pro 2 are already available The https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-airpods/airpods-pro-2 is available for $249.
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4 Comments
I won't be upgrading to AirPods 2 because they don't stay in my ears. Why won't Apple innovate by developing a product that will stay in my ears? I guess I have no choice other than upgrading to the $1,000 Shure earbuds.
Can't wait to get hold of the hearing test to be told there's nothing wrong with my hearing, so the fact I can't hear people talking to me most of the time must be something else. (At least that's what the last test I did with one of the third-party apps said.)
The hearing aid feature will probably be useful to me, because I do have problems filtering noise. I've tried using the various assisted hearing features, but the microphone noise from the phone tends to be distracting. Also, I may test out the conversation awareness again, but previously it tended to lag a bit, and be a bit too sensitive, turning down what I was listening to in response to random noise, and not reacting fast enough when I needed it.
I'm also pleased I don't have to upgrade my watch or AirPods for the features I'm most interested in.
Now that we have new Apple Watch models, I can't find what's the status with ECG and the whole legal fuss with AliveCor which involved a US import stop for some Apple devices.