Apple Watch to Get Blood Pressure Sensor, Sleep Apnea Detection in 2024 [Report]

The next generation Apple Watch will be updated with a blood pressure sensor and sleep apnea detection, according to Bloomberg.

In a new report detailing Apple's health efforts, the site says the 2024 Apple Watch will gain the ability to tell if your blood pressure is going up or down, but won't provide specifics.

The planned addition of a blood pressure sensor to the Apple Watch next year is a pathbreaking technology. In its first iteration, however, the system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward and to offer a journal for the user to jot down what was happening when hypertension occurred. To avoid potentially giving a misdiagnosis, the feature will then direct a user to talk to their doctor or check their blood pressure with a traditional cuff, which can provide exact systolic and diastolic measurements.


Notably, Apple is said to be working on a future version of the system that can provide exact numbers and diagnose related conditions, but those enhancements are likely far off.

Also purportedly coming next year, is the ability for Apple Watch to detect sleep apnea. The watch will use sleep and breathing patterns to estimate the likelihood of the condition and then direct users to see a physician.

As widely rumored, Apple continues its work on a blood glucose monitor for Apple Watch. It's believed that the feature will operate similar to the blood pressure sensor at first, merely monitoring how a user's blood sugar is trending and warning of pre-diabetes.

Apple is also looking to expand the Apple Watch's thermometer so it can sense a fever, not just track fertility. Additionally, the company is considering regulatory approval to allow it to interpret Blood Oxygen data for consumers.


According to Bloomberg, there has been a lot of discussion whether the company should move beyond the "worried well" into the kingdom of the sick. Creating a true health care device has many regulatory concerns and there are technology limitations that could create a risk of providing users with incorrect results.

Notably, Apple is also working to expand health features to its other devices. For example, AirPods is said to get new hearing aid features next year.

If all goes according to plan, AirPods by next year will be able to function as an over-the-counter hearing aid and be able to perform the hearing tests typically administered in audiologists' offices.

Apple's new Vision Pro headset is also set to get some health capabilities including new anti-anxiety and enhanced meditation features, as well as, a virtual-reality system to reinforce positive thinking and improve mental health. Additionally, Apple has been studying a way to scan a wearer's eyes for cognitive health data and it's working on a way to track a user's body during workouts to enhance its Fitness+ offering.

More details in the full report linked below...

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