Apple Watch just got a massive health upgrade — Sleep Apnea detection arrives, and you might not have to buy a new model

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(Image credit: Apple)

Apple has today confirmed that, alongside the Apple Watch Series 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Series 9 will support Sleep Apnea detection in a future wearables update. 

Apple says that an estimated 1 billion people are affected by the condition, where breathing momentarily stops during sleep, depriving your body of oxygen. Untreated it can lead to significant health issues including hypertension and diabetes. 

Apple Watch will feature a new Breathing Disturbances metric that detects wrist movements associated with interruptions to your breathing pattern. Apple turns this into a 30-day report to "notify users if it shows consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea." This data can be shared with your health provider to help you get a diagnosis and treatment. 

Apple's sleep apnea detection

Apple says its sleep apnea detection was developed "using advanced machine learning and an extensive data set of clinical-grade sleep apnea tests." The new features join some other massive health upgrades announced at the iPhone 16 event, notably AirPods Pro 2 hearing aid functionality and tools to prevent hearing loss, as well as a new hearing test you can do at home in just five minutes. 

The new Apple Watch Series 10 is available in 42mm and 46mm sizes, a new jet black color, and a new Titanium finish. It's available for pre-order now starting at just $399, and will be released on September 20.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 16 event announcements live as they happen. Don't miss all our iPhone 16iPhone 16 ProiPhone 16 Pro MaxApple Watch Series 10Apple Watch Ultra 3iOS 18 and watchOS 11 coverage so far.

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9