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

On May 21, Apple announced expansion of its health-focused features to wearables in India. Apple Watches will now start providing users with sleep apnea notifications, whereas AirPods Pro will support hearing test features. Apple says the features are designed to address common yet often undiagnosed health issues, including hearing loss and sleep apnea. Know how these newly added health features will work, and when users in India can expect the update to roll out. 

Sumbul Desai, M.D., Apple’s vice president of Health and Fitness, said, “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. From sleep apnea notifications on Apple Watch to a hearing test with AirPods Pro, we’re excited to bring these meaningful capabilities to our users in India”

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Sleep Apnea Notifications coming to Apple Watches in India

The Sleep Apnea feature on Apple Watch uses an accelerometer sensor that detects irregular breathing patterns during sleep. It tracks wrist movements to analyse a new metric called Breathing Disturbances.

Apple highlighted that the watch analyses breathing patterns of over a 30-day period using machine learning. If it notices repeated signs of severe sleep apnea, the user will receive a notification suggesting that they should consult a doctor for evaluation and treatment.

Users can keep track of nightly breathing disturbance in the Apple Health app. They can also track data over one month, six months, or one year and export the PDF report to share with healthcare providers. The app also consists of educational content about sleep apnea.

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The Sleep Apnea feature will be rolled out to Apple Watch SE (3rd generation), Apple Watch Series 9 and later models, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later models, in India.

Hearing test feature in AirPods Pro

Apple is rolling out a hearing test feature for AirPods Pro that is designed to help users detect possible hearing loss. The feature uses a clinical method called pure-tone audiometry to take a hearing test. Users can take the hearing test using the AirPods paired with an iPhone or iPad.

During the test, the AirPods will play different sound frequencies and tones ranging from 250Hz to 8,000Hz, and analyse how a user is responding to hearing the sounds. It analyses hearing sensitivity in each ear using advanced acoustic science. The entire test takes about 5 minutes 

Once completed, users receive a hearing score for each ear, a classification of hearing ability,
recommendations based on the results, and an audiogram for hearing assessments.
All results are stored securely in the Apple Health app and can be shared with doctors or hearing specialists for further consultation. 

The feature is rolling out to AirPods Pro (2nd generation) and AirPods Pro (3rd generation) users in India.