Apple Watch Series 10's biggest health upgrade clears a major hurdle ahead of release

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Just days ahead of its full release and hours before watchOS 11 is released to the public, Apple's new sleep apnea detection feature for Apple Watch has been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Asministration (FDA).

Apple unveiled its new Apple Watch Series 10 at its Glowtime iPhone 16 event last week, and one of the highlights of the new wearable is sleep apnea detection. The upgrade is actually a software-powered feature that is also coming to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Sleep apnea, which affects an estimated 1 billion people worldwide, is a disorder in which breathing momentarily stops while sleeping, depriving the body of oxygen. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes. Apple has developed a new metric to help diagnose the condition, and now, the FDA is on board.

Apple Watch sleep apnea gets the go ahead

Apple Watch's sleep apnea detection is a new metric that uses accelerometer data to log small wrist movements caused by the breathing interruptions associated with sleep apnea. The Apple Watch can provide a report every 30 days, notifying users if they show signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.

The same data can also measure how restful your sleep was generally, but sleep apnea detection is the headline feature. The data can even be presented as a PDF that you can share with your healthcare provider, helping users get the treatment they need. 80% of sleep apnea cases reportedly go undiagnosed, with most sufferers unaware they suffer from it. Short-term effects can include excessive daytime tiredness, problems with concentration, and increased irritability.

Sleep apnea was one of several noteworthy health innovations Apple announced at its iPhone 16 event. It was unveiled alongside a new hearing aid feature for AirPods Pro that also recently passed FDA scrutiny. AirPods Pro 2 are now authorized to be used as a clinical-grade hearing aid, providing enhanced listening based on the results of a new iPhone-powered hearing test.

Apple Watch Series 10 will be released on September 20, alongside the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.