Apple Inc. AAPL Watch Series 10 may not include blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea detection features.
What Happened: In his weekly “Power On” newsletter, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman reported that Apple has run into multiple issues while trying to incorporate these features into its 2024 models.
The blood pressure monitoring function, which was designed to warn users of high blood pressure, has not met Apple’s stringent standards. Doubts have also been expressed about the feature’s compatibility with the new design of the Apple Watch Series 10.
The sleep apnea function is being obstructed by a non-technical issue. Apple’s ongoing legal battle with Masimo Corp over blood oxygen saturation detection technology has impeded the company’s ability to measure this vital statistic.
“Either Apple will resolve that issue by September or find a way to work around it (perhaps the company could argue that its oxygen reader can be used for purposes that aren't directly related to blood oxygen levels),” Gurman said, adding, “It also could announce the feature but not release it until a later date — or just delay it altogether.”
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Why It Matters: Another ambitious feature, glucose monitoring, has been under development for nearly a decade. The invasive nature of glucose monitoring which typically requires direct blood access has made it difficult for it to reach wrists.
However, Gurman has now noted that Cupertino has reached a significant milestone in this regard.
In the newsletter, the tech analyst also reported that Apple is developing a new version of its Watch SE with a plastic casing, likely to cut costs and compete with Samsung’s cheapest watch.
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