It is the arm candy of fitness fanatics around the world. And next year, Apple will release the 10th version of its popular watch, which is said to be the “healthiest” yet.
The Apple Watch, worn by about a third of all iPhone users in the United States, is light years ahead of its original fitness tracking technology.
The current model has features that measure blood oxygen and heart rate, to help detect early signs of life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms and lung problems.
It also offers sleep tracking, so users can know how much time they spend in deep, good quality sleep. But the latest model is even more advanced.
The upcoming 2024 version of the Apple Watch is said to help detect numerous signs of heart disease, which kills nearly 700,000 Americans each year.
The Apple Watch 10, due early next year, will detect rising blood pressure and blood sugar, as well as signs of sleep apnea, a common condition in which sufferers temporarily stop breathing during the night. .
It’s unclear how the blood pressure monitoring technology will work, but it’s speculated that something called quasi-Infrared spectroscopy could be involved.
This method calculates changes in blood pressure by observing blood flow with near-infrared light.
Apple Watch series 9 launched in September 2023 with advanced health features, but the series 10 promises to offer even more sophisticated technology, including blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring.
It can’t give exact numbers, but it can detect large increases or decreases that may indicate a cardiovascular problem.
Nearly half of Americans over age 20 have high blood pressure, according to a 2023 report from the American Heart Association. There are about 122 million people.
However, studies estimate that around one in five of those who suffer from this condition, which is a major risk factor for stroke and heart attack, do not know they have it.
As for sleep apnea, the watch detects drops in breathing and other telltale signs such as snoring, and advises seeking medical help.
It’s also unclear exactly how the wearable device can detect unhealthy blood sugar spikes, which could indicate prediabetes.
The tech giant is also said to be working on even more impressive health features for post-2024 models, including turning AirPods into over-the-counter headphones, as well as a deafness test. according to Bloomberg.
The price of the Apple Watch series 10 has not yet been confirmed, although previous models are price of $399.
