Apple’s health goals have found a new way of expressing itself — the Apple Watch will alert wearers about “moderate to severe signs of sleep apnea” and will offer a report that can be shared with the doctor to make discussions around the subject a little bit easier.

The new feature is coming to the just-announced Apple Watch Series 10, besides Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The company said it expects FDA clearance for the feature later this month.

Sleep apnea is something that affects millions across the globe. Many go to bed and drift into sleep that is not peaceful — people snore and gasp for air, causing chronic sleepiness and increasing the risk of heart disease, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Sleep apnea affected an estimated 22 million Americans in 2019.

Apple says it’s using the accelerometer on its watches to monitor a new metric that it calls “breathing disturbances”. Apple Watch users will be able to see their nightly breathing disturbance values in the Health app.

The feature can be a game-changer for people who have sleep problems but have never received a formal diagnosis. Knowing that your sleep issues could be a symptom of an underlying disorder can be life-changing.

The company said 80 per cent of people with sleep apnea are undiagnosed. This feature was built using an extensive dataset, Apple said. Every 30 days, the watch analyses data for signs of possible moderate to severe cases of sleep apnea. If it spots them, the wearer gets a notification and a detailed report.

Besides the new health feature, the Series 10 can also sense water temperature and depth when submerged. A new Tides app will also show rising and falling tide data for coastlines.

You could be wondering if the watch has any design updates. The larger 46mm case option has a display slightly larger than the one on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. And new OLED tech translates into a screen that is easier to glance at from an angle. The larger size fits an additional line of text for messages, and Apple says typing on the still-tiny screen will be easier too.

The new Watch is slightly thinner — 9.7mm in the Series 10 versus 10.7mm in the Series 9 but on a device this small, even a small change makes a big difference. That’s not all, you can now play podcasts or music directly through the watch’s tiny speaker.
Apple says the new display is 40 per cent brighter and that its always-on mode will now refresh once every second, up from once every minute on older devices.

And did we mention there is a more efficient charging coil, making Series 10 the fastest-charging Apple Watch ever. Fifteen minutes of charging provides up to eight hours of normal daily use, or eight minutes of charging powers up to eight hours of sleep tracking. Faster charging also means users can charge to 80 per cent battery in about 30 minutes.

Updates for Apple Watch Ultra 2

A new Titanium Milanese Loop band for Apple Watch Ultra is designed for water activities while offering lightweight comfort and elegance for any occasion. An all-new Apple Watch Hermes Ultra 2 combines the durability and features of Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a nautically inspired watch band and an exclusive Hermes watch face.

The new black titanium finish for Apple Watch Ultra 2 is achieved with a custom blasting process, and the diamond-like carbon physical vapour deposition coating over the grade 5 titanium makes it scratch-resistant and durable. To complement the new black finish, the popular Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band have all been updated to offer a black hardware option in addition to natural titanium.

Apple Watch Series 10 starts at ₹46,900 and Apple Watch SE is available starting at ₹24,900. You can pre-order now, with availability in stores beginning September 20.