At today’s virtual event, Apple introduced the Apple Watch Series 10 with new health and fitness features, and the AirPods Pro 2 with hearing testing and over-the-counter hearing aid features.
View Series 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 will have a new sleep apnea feature that uses the accelerometer to measure a new metric called “disordered breathing.”
The Health app gives users insights into how restful their sleep is, and every 30 days, the Watch analyzes the breathing disorder data collected to notify the wearer of any consistent patterns that may indicate moderate to severe sleep apnea.
If possible sleep apnea is detected, users will receive a detailed report that they can present to their doctor to discuss the results.
The company’s detection algorithm was developed using machine learning on sleep apnea testing datasets and then validated in clinical studies.
“It will receive approval from the FDA and other regulatory agencies soon and will be available this month in more than 150 countries and regions, including the US, Europe and Japan,” Dr. Sumbul Ahmad Desai, Apple’s vice president of health, said during the event.
Apple also plans to incorporate sleep apnea notifications in an update to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2.
As for the physical features of the Series 10, the company said it has its largest display ever, with 30% more screen real estate than the Apple Watch Ultra, and that the display has been optimized to be 40% brighter.
The watch comes in aluminum or titanium finishes and is the thinnest Apple Watch yet at 9.7mm thick, and can play music, podcasts and other media through its speakers.
The Apple Watch’s battery can charge up to 80% in 30 minutes and is equipped with Apple’s S10, which enables drop and collision detection.
Series 10 has the longest charge time of any Watch ever, with 18 hours of battery life. The Watch also includes a built-in depth gauge and water temperature sensor for underwater activities that activates automatically when submerged in water.
The company also announced that the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 will include fitness tracking features, including a compass app, offline capability for hikers, dual-frequency GPS, and positioning software.
The Ultra also comes with a Training Load feature, giving users insight to plan when to exercise and when to recover.
The Apple Watch Series 10 will retail for $399, while the Watch Ultra will start at $799, and will be available on September 20. Customers can start pre-ordering the watches now.
Airpods Pro 2
The tech giant also unveiled new AirPods Pro 2 with hearing loss-related health features focused on preventing, awareness, and supporting hearing loss.
AirPods Pro 2 will feature machine learning to automatically reduce loud noises, as well as “clinical-grade” hearing features that will allow users to get insights into their hearing health using the Health app and AirPods Pro 2.
“To help users minimize their exposure [to loud environments]”We’re adding hearing protection to Airpods Pro by default in all listening modes,” Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, said during the event. “Machine learning in the H2 chip actively reduces louder, intermittent noises 48,000 times per second.”
The hearing test is a five-minute test that users can take at home using their iPhone and AirPods Pro, where they tap on their iPhone screen when they hear a series of sounds at different volumes and frequencies.
The test is based on insights from Apple’s hearing research and was developed using real-world data, and the results are provided to users in a personalized hearing profile within the Health app.
In support of this, the company announced that AirPods 2 can also be used as clinical-grade over-the-counter hearing aids.
“After you take a hearing test, AirPods Pro transform into your own personalized hearing aid, using the specific sounds you need in real time, like parts of speech or elements in your environment,” Dr. Desai said.
“AirPods Pro have amazing audio quality and your hearing profile automatically applies to music, movies, and calls across your devices without you having to adjust any settings.”
The company expects its hearing testing and hearing aid features to be available in more than 100 countries and regions, including the U.S., Germany and Japan, and to receive clearance from the FDA and other regulatory agencies soon.
These features will also be available on AirPods Pro 2 and in the iOS 18 software update.
Apple’s new generation AirPods will also feature personalized spatial audio and the ability to interact with Siri by shaking your head for “yes” or “no.”
The company also unveiled new versions of the iPhone with Apple Intelligence, Apple’s artificial intelligence platform that powers a host of personalization features, including writing and communication tools, image creation and editing, and a personal Siri.
