Apple expands health features in India with Watch and AirPod Pro updates: All details

Apple has announced the launch of advanced health features for its wearable devices in India, marking a significant enhancement in their product offerings. The updates, revealed on May 21, will allow Apple Watch users to receive notifications related to sleep apnea, while AirPods Pro will now facilitate hearing tests. Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple's vice president of Health and Fitness, emphasized the company’s commitment to empowering individuals to manage their health more effectively. "At Apple, we believe technology should empower people to take control of their health, and that starts with giving users tools to detect conditions they may not even know they have," she stated. The newly introduced features aim to address prevalent yet often overlooked health concerns, such as sleep apnea and hearing loss. The Apple Watch's sleep apnea notifications utilize an accelerometer sensor to identify irregular breathing patterns during the night. By tracking wrist movements, the watch generates a new metric called Breathing Disturbances. Over a 30-day period, the device employs machine learning to analyze these patterns. Should it detect consistent signs of severe sleep apnea, users will receive a notification advising them to seek medical evaluation. In addition to tracking nightly breathing disturbances, users can monitor their data over time—choosing intervals of one month, six months, or even a year. They can also export comprehensive PDF reports to share with healthcare professionals, alongside educational resources about sleep apnea. The sleep apnea feature will be available on Apple Watch SE (3rd generation), Apple Watch Series 9 and later models, as well as Apple Watch Ultra 2 and newer models in India. Meanwhile, AirPods Pro users will benefit from a new hearing test feature designed to help detect potential hearing loss. This feature employs a clinical method known as pure-tone audiometry, allowing users to undergo a hearing test with their AirPods connected to an iPhone or iPad. During the test, various sound frequencies ranging from 250Hz to 8,000Hz are played, and the system evaluates the user’s auditory responses. The entire hearing assessment takes approximately five minutes. Once completed, users receive a detailed hearing score for each ear, recommendations based on the results, and an audiogram for further analysis. All findings are securely stored within the Apple Health app, where they can be shared with medical professionals for additional consultation. This feature will be rolled out to users of AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and (3rd generation) in India.