Apple has announced the expansion of sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features in India.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person’s breathing stops momentarily during sleep, due to which the body does not get enough oxygen. If it’s not treated, it can have serious health consequences over time, including an increased risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
Apple Watch helps its users detect symptoms of sleep apnea. This is done with the help of an Apple Watch metric called Breathing Disturbance, which uses the smartwatch’s accelerometer to detect small movements on the wrist associated with interruptions in normal breathing patterns during sleep.
Apple Watch analyzes breathing disorder data every 30 days and notifies users when it detects persistent symptoms of moderate to severe sleep apnea, so they can consult with their doctor about next steps and treatment.
Apple says breathing disturbances can also be used to assess sleep restfulness, and notes that the metric can be affected by alcohol, medications, sleep position, and more. Users can view their breathing disorder data in the Health app.
Apple’s sleep apnea notifications are supported by the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, Watch Ultra 2, and Watch Ultra 3.
Apple’s hearing test feature requires AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3, updated to the latest firmware, and paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later.
Apple claims its hearing test is clinical-grade and based on the standard clinical approach, pure-tone audiometry, which users can take with their AirPods Pro at home.
The test takes about five minutes and uses phonics. And once the user completes the test, they are provided with a summary of the results, which includes an audiogram, a number representing the hearing loss in each ear, a classification, and recommendations. Apple claims that all results are stored securely and privately in the Health app.
Apart from expanding sleep apnea notifications and hearing test features in India, Apple also introduced hearing aids in Italy and hypertension notifications in Taiwan.