Apple Watch Series 10 Can Help Uncover This Serious Health Issue

A lot of exhausted people might soon find out exactly why they don't wake up in the morning feeling rested, as Apple has announced the Apple Watch Series 10 is introducing sleep apnea detection. The news came as part of the unveiling of the latest generation of the smartwatch, along with other new designs and features, such as a titanium build and a larger OLED display.

The new sleep apnea function was somewhat anticipated and follows such other devices as the RingConn Gen 2 Smart Ring, which have also made sleep apnea detection a key selling point. One reason for this is that the tricky sleep disorder is affecting millions who have so far gone undiagnosed. According to Apple's presentation, 80% of the nearly one billion people suffering worldwide from sleep apnea are undiagnosed, which is serious, as the condition — which involves your breathing repeatedly stopping as you sleep — can lead to other medical conditions when untreated, including irregular heartbeats, hypertension, diabetes, cognitive decline, cardiovascular incidents, and — in severe instances — even death.

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Symptoms include snoring loudly and feeling tired after a full night's sleep, though Apple's new feature — which will also be available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra — will help provide more concrete evidence of the disorder. The smartwatch will use its built-in accelerometer to detect sleep disturbances and advanced algorithms to interpret the data. Unlike Samsung's similar feature, the sleep apnea detection doesn't need to be enabled on the Apple Watch and will tell you every 30 days if it predicts you have it or not. Apple says that it expects official clearance from the FDA soon and that sleep apnea detection will be available in more than 150 regions, including the U.S.

The announcement of the new sleep apnea feature was part of a larger presentation showcasing the new Apple Watch Series 10, as well as new AirPods and the latest iPhone. The presentation began by showing how the Apple Watch has already helped people in real-world situations, such as by notifying them of potentially dangerous Atrial fibrillation (AFib) and tracking ECG measurements after heart surgery. Apple saw some controversy last year after one such feature — blood oxygen measurements — was removed after possible patent infringement — from the Apple Watch Series 9, which SlashGear gave a very positive review.

Other health features carrying over to the newest Apple Watch include reminders to take your medication, as well as notifications when you're in an environment that is loud enough to potentially damage your hearing. Of course, one of the best ways to improve your health is by keeping fit, and Apple has also added new features to its wide array of fitness metrics. This includes new water temperature and depth detection functions on the Apple Watch Series 10 that can be used by divers and snorkelers, as well as improved tracking for paddling. Plus, watchOS 11 will also now be able to provide tides information for safer water activities in the ocean. These new health and fitness features are just part of an overall upgrade to the Apple Watch, which will also include Apple Intelligence — the AI feature that is taking over Apple's new products this year.