Here's Why New Siri + Health Features Work Only On The Latest Apple Watch Models

Apple Inc. AAPL recently introduced a fresh characteristic to its latest Apple Watch models, setting the stage for users to access and log Health app data via Siri. The company has underscored the fact that the focus remains on user privacy and accessibility.

What Happened: Apple rolled out the watchOS 10.2 update for Apple Watch users. This update brings support for logging and accessing Health app data using Siri but is exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models.

Originally announced at an event in September, Apple had promised to roll out the feature by the end of the year. Deidre Caldbeck, Apple’s senior director of product marketing for Apple Watch and Health, stated in a CNET interview that the new feature aligns with Apple’s objective of making health information more accessible.

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Despite the delay in introducing Siri to Health queries, Caldbeck highlighted that it was necessary to uphold Apple’s commitment to user privacy. The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models are the first to possess the capability to process requests locally on the device with low latency.

Katie Skinner, Apple’s senior manager for user privacy engineering, echoed Caldbeck’s sentiments, emphasizing the privacy-oriented design of the feature. The design adheres to Apple’s health product principles of data minimization, on-device processing, transparency, control, and security.

Currently, Siri can access over 20 Health app data types. The feature is available in English (United States) and Mandarin Chinese (China mainland), with more languages expected to be supported in the future, although no specific timeline has been provided.

Why It Matters: Back in September, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 at the ‘Wonderlust’ event. These models, featuring speed and performance enhancements, also introduced a new S9 SiP (System in Package) that enables faster, more efficient performance.

This technology permits Apple to perform Siri requests on-device instead of connecting to an Apple server, marking a significant step in ensuring user privacy.

Image Credits – Shutterstock

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