Apple has introduced new sleep and hearing health features for the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2 to support conditions affecting many people.
These advancements are expected to enhance health through technology, helping users improve their sleep and hearing well-being.
The Apple Watch now includes a Breathing Disturbances metric, which will offer notifications for sleep apnoea and support users’ health. This metric detects small wrist movements linked to interruptions in breathing during sleep.
Every 30 days, the watch analyses this data and alerts users to possible moderate to severe sleep apnoea, prompting them for further diagnosis and treatment.
This new feature is anticipated to gain marketing authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other global health authorities soon. It will be available later this month in over 150 countries and regions.
The new AirPods Pro 2 features active Hearing Protection, the clinically validated Hearing Test, and a new over-the-counter Hearing Aid function.
According to Apple, this software-based Hearing Aid feature makes accessing hearing assistance more convenient and affordable. Additionally, it offers passive noise reduction, while the H2 chip actively reduces louder, intermittent noise 48,000 times per second.
Furthermore, Apple is launching a new, clinical-grade Hearing Test feature for AirPods Pro 2 users, based on pure-tone audiometry.
This self-administered test, which takes about five minutes at home with a compatible iPhone or iPad, uses advanced acoustic science to provide an interactive experience.
The Hearing Test and Hearing Aid features are anticipated to receive marketing authorisation from global health authorities soon. They will be available this fall in over 100 countries and regions.
Apple health vice president Sumbul Desai said: “At Apple, we believe that technology can help you live a healthier life, and we’re excited to enable incredible new health capabilities for serious conditions that affect billions of people around the world, while continuing to keep user data private.”
Other new features across Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad include the new Vitals app on Apple Watch, which allows users to monitor their daily health and review key overnight metrics.
The Health app, launched in 2014, is also adding enhanced support for pregnant users.
Additionally, users can now record their journaling time as mindful minutes in the Health app and log their mental state directly in the Journal.
Since the debut of the Health app, the American technology firm has expanded it with new features to cover 18 different areas of health and fitness.
