Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 receive Apple Watch Series 10 health feature through update

The Apple Watch Series 10 was officially introduced on Monday, along with the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. In addition to the 10 percent thinner case, the diving app and improved fast charging, the most interesting new feature is probably sleep apnea detection. However, as Apple confirms in the fine print of the press release, this will also be available on the Apple Watch Series 9 (approx. 420 euros on Amazon) and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, following a software update that is due to be released in September.

It is unclear whether the feature will be available on September 16, when watchOS 11 is released, or whether it will only be activated through a future update. The function uses the smartwatch's accelerometer to detect unusual behavior during sleep that can be associated with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is one of the most common sleep disorders in which the affected person's breathing temporarily stops during sleep.

Affected users receive a notification from the Apple Watch that sleep apnea has been detected so that the condition can be treated. According to Apple, untreated sleep apnea can lead to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart problems, so the smartwatch's sleep apnea detection can potentially save lives. The Apple Watch is not the first smartwatch on the market that can detect sleep disorders; the Samsung Galaxy Watch7 can also detect the sleep disorder and inform users about it.