Apple is planning a number of new health features for the Apple Watch, including blood pressure trends, a thermometer, sleep apnea and diabetes detection, as well as a series of updates for existing models, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Sources claiming to be familiar with Apple’s plans and to have access to internal company documents, told the Wall Street Journal about the development of a large number of new Apple Watch health features. However, most of these new features are not expected to appear before 2022. Apple is reportedly considering incorporating a health monitoring thermometer into the Apple Watch as early as next year. The thermometer's features are reportedly based on fertility planning to give women insights into their ovulation cycle and improved recognition of patterns in sleep tracking. The sensor will later even be able to measure fever. The blood pressure monitoring feature reportedly detects when pressure rises and can indicate the presence of high blood pressure. Apple wanted to release the feature next year, but is struggling to perfect the technology, according to the report.
Users should receive medical information
Unlike traditional methods of measuring blood pressure, Apple's system uses sensors to measure the speed of a heartbeat's wave through a user's arteries. This would then show users how their blood pressure is evolving, but would not provide a systolic and diastolic blood pressure reading. In addition, the company plans to integrate sleep apnea detection into the existing blood oxygen sensor at some point in the future. The challenge, however, is to measure the readings often enough without draining the Apple Watch's battery life. Apple also intends to provide a medical alert when the Apple Watch detects low blood oxygen levels. Apple is said to face some challenges with blood glucose monitoring, so it is unclear when the feature will be introduced. The Wall Street Journal notes in the report that Apple's plans for new health features in future Apple Watch models are very ambitious.
Apple plans updates for older Apple Watch models
However, it remains unclear if and when the features will actually appear. Regardless of the future features, Apple is said to be planning a series of updates for existing Apple Watch models. However, the company needs FDA approval for this, which currently does not seem to be being issued. The report claims that one update would allow people with atrial fibrillation to use the Apple Watch to track their condition over longer periods of time. Another update will allow the Apple Watch to alert the user when their blood oxygen level drops. As a reminder, the popular smartwatch can currently only look for signs of atrial fibrillation in people without the condition, and blood oxygen monitoring can only provide a reading without alerts when changes occur.
Apple Watch Series 7 will not receive any new health features
If the information is correct, Apple seems to have big plans for the Apple Watch. What we will actually see in the end, however, remains to be seen. If we believe Mark Gurman, who is usually considered to be well informed, none of these functions will appear in the Apple Watch Series 7 - not even a blood pressure measurement function. This claim has Nikkei only yesterday. According to Gurman, the Series 7 will appear with existing functions but in a brand new design. Whether he will be right in the end remains to be seen. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
