Apple brought forth an array of updates in the hardware announcements it made yesterday at its big September event. While the iPhone 17 series was the major highlight of the keynote, the tech giant managed to create quite the buzz with its new health tracking features, such as Hypertension Notifications and Sleep Score, added to the latest Apple Watch series. Although many users would want to go for the upgrade, given how some of the watches have not been refreshed for quite a while, those who still want to stick to their older models would be relieved to know that the features are making their way to some of the previous models.
Apple Watch introduces Hypertension Alerts and Sleep Score – see which models will get these health upgrades
Apple has announced its new smartwatch lineup, and while the Series 11, Watch SE 3, and Ultra 3 are packed with some massive upgrades, the new health-tracking features introduced are doing the rounds. Two major capabilities added are the Hypertension Notifications and Sleep Score. These tools are meant to offer more detailed insights into your health, and while the tech giant will be bringing them to some of the older versions, it depends on the model you have and its hardware capabilities.
Hypertension Alerts are meant to notify users about potential high blood pressure or any spikes noticed. They will use optical heart sensors to analyze blood vessel responses over a month to look for irregularities. The capability will be available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later models alongside the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later versions with watchOS 26. While the feature has pending FDA approval, the tech giant plans to launch it extensively in more than 150 regions.
Sleep Score, on the other hand, is meant to offer an elaborate assessment of your sleep quality by measuring wrist temperature, blood oxygen level, heart rate, and respiration to form a score on how well you have slept. This capability will be added to Apple Watch Series 6 and later, as well as the Apple Watch SE 2 and later models. All Apple Watch Ultra models that run iOS 26 or pair with an iPhone 11 or later can also benefit from the feature. The feature will be coming alongside watchOS 26 on September 15, 2025.
Hypertension Notifications and Sleep Score are both exciting new health tracking capabilities. Their availability depends on which models support the necessary sensors and chipsets, and some might get only partial access. Nevertheless, Apple continues to focus on integrating advanced health tracking features into its smartwatches and establishing them as a wellness tracking tool.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
