Apple's Big Health Move in India: Watch, AirPods Pro Get New Features

Apple received regulatory approval in India to roll out Sleep Apnea Notifications on supported Apple Watch models and the Hearing Test feature on AirPods Pro. Sleep Apnea Notifications targets adults aged 18 and above who have not been diagnosed with sleep apnea. The feature uses the Apple Watch accelerometer to monitor breathing disturbances during sleep and analyzes trends over a rolling 30-day period to identify persistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea, with automatic recalibration every 30 days. When patterns are detected, users receive notifications and can generate a detailed PDF report in the Health app to share with physicians. The Hearing Test feature is designed to help address hearing loss while maintaining privacy through on-device processing and encrypted health records.

"Apple says it has received regulatory approval to roll out Sleep Apnea Notifications on supported Apple Watch models and the Hearing Test feature on AirPods Pro in the country. Both features are designed to help address major health challenges, including undiagnosed sleep apnea and hearing loss. The features, however, are still said to maintain user privacy through on-device processing and encrypted health records."

"In India, Sleep Apnea Notifications is available for compatible Apple Watch models. This includes the Apple Watch SE (3rd generation), Apple Watch Series 9 and later models, as well as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer variants. The feature is intended for adults aged 18 years and above who have not already been diagnosed with sleep apnea."

"Sleep Apnea Notifications leverage the Apple Watch's accelerometer to monitor breathing disturbances during sleep. It is claimed to analyse trends over a rolling 30-day period to identify persistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea. The algorithm automatically recalibrates every 30 days. When the Apple Watch detects a pattern consistent with sleep apnea, users receive a notification and can generate a detailed PDF report through the Health app."

"As per Apple, the sleep apnea algorithm was developed using over 11,000 nights of sleep data collected from 4,700 participants across diverse age groups, genders, body types, and ethnic backgrounds. The report can then be shared directly with physicians via email, messaging apps, or other platforms."

Read at Gadgets 360