After months of swirling rumors, Apple finally pulled back the curtain on its latest iPhone 16 series last week, along with Apple Watch Series 10 and black titanium Watch Ultra 2. Apple"s newest wearables are upgraded with a slew of new features. One such feature is sleep apnea detection. The feature is now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In case you"re unfamiliar with it, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person"s breathing to stop and restart multiple times. Each stoppage can last several seconds, and many stoppages could occur throughout the night. Sleep apnea could result in diseases such as heart attack, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity in the long term. According to the National Council on Aging, approximately 39 million U.S. adults suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
Amid last week"s event, Apple said the feature is pending FDA approval, but the company expects the approval to arrive very soon. On Monday, the FDA"s approval for sleep apnea detection finally arrived. The agency has classified the feature as an "over-the-counter device to assess risk of sleep apnea."
As FDA explains:
"An over-the-counter device to assess the risk of sleep apnea is intended to provide a notification of the risk of sleep apnea in users who have not been previously diagnosed with sleep apnea. This device uses software algorithms to analyze input sensor signals and provide a risk assessment for sleep apnea. It is not intended to provide a standalone diagnosis, replace traditional methods of diagnosis (e.g., polysomnography), assist clinicians in diagnosing sleep disorders, or be used as an apnea monitor."
In addition to the Apple Watch Series 10, sleep apnea detection is heading to Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. The feature could also expand to over 150 countries later this month. The FDA already approved the Apple AirPods Pro hearing aid feature. Moreover, the official release of the Apple Watch Series 10 starts this Friday.