Apple Watch Series 10 Could Have Upgraded Heart Rate Sensor and Better Water Resistance

[MacRumors]

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 models that Apple will introduce next week could include an updated heart rate and ECG sensor that will enable new health features like sleep apnea detection, reports 9to5Mac. Sleep apnea detection has been long rumored for the Series 10, but it was believed to rely on blood oxygen monitoring, a feature that is disabled in current-generation U.S. Apple Watch models due to patent issues.

Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing while asleep, which can lead to excessive tiredness. It is usually diagnosed through a sleep study, and fixing it requires a breathing apparatus like a CPAP machine. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 will reportedly be able to detect sleep apnea using Apple Watch sleep tracking, providing a reading after collecting sleep data for several days.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the new Apple Watch Series 10 models will have larger 45mm and 49mm display sizes, but 9to5Mac claims that the resolutions are lower than current 45mm and 49mm models, and the site believes that the Series 10 will come in 44mm and 48mm sizes. The new watch sizes will be highlighted by a new "Reflections" watch face, as well as a "Regatta" Hermès watch face.

The Hermès watch face will also be available on the Apple Watch Ultra 3, hinting at the first Hermès band for the Ultra. An Hermès band with what could be titanium lugs was recently spotted on eBay, further suggesting that Hermès will design bands for the larger, more rugged Apple Watch.

With the display size increase and a redesign that will see the new model offering reduced thickness, Apple could also boost water resistance, certifying the device for high-speed water sports up to 20 meters deep. The new Series 10 models may get the Depth app, which was first introduced for the Apple Watch Ultra.

Other new features coming to the Series 10 include an upgraded S10 chip and new OLED display technology that is more power efficient. More information on rumors we've heard about the Series 10 can be found in our guide.

There are no other features planned for the Apple Watch Ultra, and though not mentioned in the report, Apple also plans to refresh the Apple Watch SE.

Article Link: Apple Watch Series 10 Could Have Upgraded Heart Rate Sensor and Better Water Resistance

 

[Chiromac81]

Meh.

Ho hum

 

[jarman92]

Pretty remarkable how almost everything about the new iPhones is known well in advance but the Watches are like a total surprise every year.

 

[jz0309]

well, we sure will all be smarter before noon on Monday

 

[DotCom2]

Once they get the Hypertension sensor worked out, the sales are going to go through the roof! Maybe next year?

 

[Apple Mac Daz]

How would sleep apnea work when the majority probably charge the watch overnight

 

[CloneBB]

How would sleep apnea work when the majority probably charge the watch overnight

I assume you weren’t being serious with that question.

 

[PsykX]

Sleep apnea seems like a total disaster nowadays.

I wasn't even aware of this thing before 2022, now two people close to me have CPAP machines, and based on their experiences, I'm wondering if I don't have sleep apnea myself.

 

[ThatsMeRight]

Based on the articles on 9to5mac, the Series 10 start to look better and better. Same goes for iPhone 16!

 

[toobravetosave]

i sure hope the next model is…an upgrade 🙄

 

[PsykX]

How would sleep apnea work when the majority probably charge the watch overnight

Yeah, how's that supposed to work.

Everybody knows Apple restricts charging of the Apple Watch, it needs to be done between midnight and 6 AM absolutely, or else they get the info through their Cloud and send you an "Apple Tax" bill through a bailiff.

 

[delsoul]

No functioning o2 sensor on the AWU 3? No buy!

 

[4k78]

My wife is my sleep apnea sensor. 🤣

 

[onenorth]

Sleep apnea seems like a total disaster nowadays.

I wasn't even aware of this thing before 2022, now two people close to me have CPAP machines, and based on their experiences, I'm wondering if I don't have sleep apnea myself.

A sleep study is the only reliable test, but there are existing clues from the watch, such as if your breathing rate suddenly jumps up while you're sleeping. My Sleep Number bed also tracks breathing rate and it tracks well with what my watch is seeing. Not seeing anything unusual in my data, but you never know. Wife says I snore too much though.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

I don't know if I'm the only one but I've owned the Series 2, Series 4 and Series 7 and all of them, all of them have had the same issue with heart rate monitoring during workouts.

The issue is that in the first couple of minutes after having started a workout, every time I check my watch, the heart rate reading is black. So you'd think it's unable to detect your heart rate. However, when I pause the workout and go to the heart rate monitoring app, it will measure it correctly and give me the reading/result. Then I go back to the workout app and it will show the heart rate reading. And I've noticed I have to do this 8 times out of 10. If I don't, I'll see in the end result that the first 20-30 mins of my workout no heart rate has been measured. And because of the fact it can read it when I go check the heart rate monitoring app, it feels to me this is one bad software bug. It's like I have to wake up my watch's heart rate monitoring every single time and it's so annoying. I hope this gets fixed.

 

[BelgianChoklit]

Pretty remarkable how almost everything about the new iPhones is known well in advance but the Watches are like a total surprise every year.

I would much prefer the Apple Watch to leak some more than those boring phones.

 

[scrapesleon]

yawn sounds boring already

 

[diddl14]

Water resistance I believe is largely a non-issue but operating the thing while swimming is a real pain. Maybe the Ultra with its action button solves this but it‘s simply impossible to start/stop activities with wet fingers.

 

[DotCom2]

How would sleep apnea work when the majority probably charge the watch overnight

Just use a fast charger and charge it up before you go to bed depending on how low the charge is before retiring.

 

[twolf2919]

Apple should just bite the bullet and pay Massimo (the company who has the patents on the O2 sensors Apple apparently used without asking). I don't know how many people, like me, would not upgrade to something they'd consider a 'lesser' product if it lacks a sensor their current watch has? I have the original Ultra and have always upgraded to a new watch whenever a new sensor was added. Already skipped the Ultra 2 because I'd have a disabled O2 sensor. I was hoping that they'd at least a hypertension 'sensor' (i.e. an imprecise blood pressure monitor) this time around - but even that seems unlikely now :-(

Sadly, the AW hasn't changed all that much in the last couple years - not sure when the imprecise temp sensor (solely to help women with ovulation related matters?) was added, but I think that was the last 'new' sensor I can remember. And, of course the removal of the O2 sensor :-(

I wear an Ultra - so obviously slimmer and lighter isn't a priority for me

 

[Jimmy Bubbles]

Still without O2 sensor, eh?

 

[guzhogi]

What's the word on glucose monitoring? Would be helpful for diabetics

 

[azhava]

Still without O2 sensor, eh?

I guess we'll find out next Monday.

 

[Ghost31]

Apple should just bite the bullet and pay Massimo (the company who has the patents on the O2 sensors Apple apparently used without asking). I don't know how many people, like me, would not upgrade to something they'd consider a 'lesser' product if it lacks a sensor their current watch has? I have the original Ultra and have always upgraded to a new watch whenever a new sensor was added. Already skipped the Ultra 2 because I'd have a disabled O2 sensor. I was hoping that they'd at least a hypertension 'sensor' (i.e. an imprecise blood pressure monitor) this time around - but even that seems unlikely now :-(

Sadly, the AW hasn't changed all that much in the last couple years - not sure when the imprecise temp sensor (solely to help women with ovulation related matters?) was added, but I think that was the last 'new' sensor I can remember. And, of course the removal of the O2 sensor :-(

I wear an Ultra - so obviously slimmer and lighter isn't a priority for me

We’ve all been frustratingly saying that Apple should just pay up, but we also don’t know the terms of the other company. They could be completely unreasonable.

 

[dampfnudel]

Wish Apple could reactivate the O2 sensor.