At its “Glowtime” event today, Apple announced its new lineup of products: the new Apple Watch, iPods, and the iPhone 16 series. One of the overarching themes across the various devices is new health monitoring features. While health monitoring is ubiquitous, Apple’s new features bring a unique, clinically relevant aspect to these products, such as the AirPods Pro 2’s ability to function as over-the-counter hearing aids.
Also: Everything Apple announced at its “Glowtime” event: AI features, AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10 and more
Additional features like sleep apnea detection, new holistic information in Vitals mode, and pregnancy health insights are part of Apple’s commitment to providing not only deeper, more accurate data, but also more relevant data. Here’s a look at some of the most impactful health features across the three new products.
1. Hearing aid mode: AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2, Apple’s premium earbuds, can now also be used as over-the-counter hearing aids and offer a range of hearing-related metrics and tests. In an emotional demo during the “Glowtime” keynote event, Apple demonstrated how the AirPods Pro 2 can also be used as a hearing aid – changing the game for people who would otherwise not have access to an expensive or hard-to-find product.
AirPods Pro 2 also offer clinically validated hearing tests to assess hearing ability and monitor the progression of hearing loss, making them the first commercially available earbuds to do so.
Plus, your AirPods Pro 2 will soon be able to be used as over-the-counter hearing aids. Here’s how
Apple clarified during the event that the device has not yet been approved by the FDA as an approved hearing aid. However, for a product to qualify as an over-the-counter hearing aid, it must be available without a prescription, not require implantation or surgical intervention, and come with customizable features – all requirements that the AirPods Pro 2 meet.
2.Vitals Mode: Apple Watch
Rather than looking at a list of health metrics in isolation, the new Vitals app is designed to contextualize holistic health data in a way that actually makes sense to users. It captures health data like heart rate, temperature and blood oxygen levels during sleep, processes them through the watch’s algorithm, and then shows the user in the morning whether or not they are within the normal range.
Also: Your Apple Watch is getting an upgrade – here are the best features in WatchOS 11
If the watch detects that some of these vital signs are too high or too low, or there is a sudden increase or decrease, it will notify the user and suggest appropriate lifestyle changes or actions that could alleviate these problems.
3. Sleep apnea detection: Apple Watch
We saw this feature in Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra earlier this year, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to see this technology make its way into the new Apple Watch. However, like the Vitals app, it relies on a holistic collection of other metrics such as heart rate, body temperature, movement and, most importantly, breathing data.
The watch’s accelerometer is equipped with the ability to detect breathing disturbances, and if these occur frequently enough at intervals that alert the algorithm, the user is prompted to see a doctor to get tested for sleep apnea.
4. Pregnancy Tracking: Apple Watch
The Apple Watch Series 10 puts a new emphasis on pregnancy data, paired with its cycle tracking algorithm. While there isn’t a dedicated app just for pregnancy, if you tell the cycle tracking app that you’re pregnant, it will display your gestational age and track your pregnancy status against other health data.
Also: Thinking of buying an Apple Watch Series 10? Consider these 3 features before upgrading
