Apple can sometimes be accused of intentionally withholding new features from older devices for no good reason. For example, if dual capture video recording is restricted to the iPhone 17, if the same feature is supported by third-party apps, then the eyebrows have risen, so it has nothing to do with hardware features.
However, when it comes to modern health features, the company has wisely taken a much more comprehensive approach…
Hypertension alert
The new health feature in the Apple Watch model heading is hypertension notification, alias, warning signs of chronic hypertension.
Hypertension is a very serious condition, with consistently high blood force on the arterial walls, and is at a great risk of heart attack, stroke, or renal failure. The World Health Organization estimates that hypertension kills around 7.5 million people each year, representing almost 13% of all deaths.
In the US, the CDC lists it as the 13th largest murderer in the country, and is responsible for more than 42,000 deaths each year.
It has been featured on the Apple Watch Series 11 and the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but the company has added features to three older models.
- Apple Watch Ultra 2
- Apple Watch Series 10
- Apple Watch Series 9
Sleep Score
Not only is it another feature feature introduced on the latest Apple Watches, but it is also available on older models, but it is a sleep score.
I have posted this feature on my Oura Smart Ring for over a year and have written about how valuable it is.
I also found that sleep data felt more at ease when I struggled with insomnia matches. My subjective feeling was that I was awake for hours in the middle of the night, but the data showed me a different story. Usually, there was a healthy sleep cycle before and after. Also, from good night sleep, we could actually see that it is very typical for everyone to wake up at some point in the night.
This not only ends the classic insomnia cycle, but also makes it difficult for the stress to fall asleep because you are unable to sleep.
Again, Apple makes this feature available on older watches.
Sleep score runs Apple Watch Series 6 and later WatchOS 26, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) and later, and all Apple Watch Ultra Models pairing with iPhone 11 and later, iOS 26.
Plus, you don’t even have to own it Any Types of Apple Watch. All devices you own that provide sleep tracking can be used by your iPhone to generate sleep scores in the Apple Health app.
Both decisions are wise. People may complain about companies that retain optional features like multi-camera video recording on iPhones, but withholding health features with proven capabilities that save lives is a very different issue.
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(TagStoTRASSLATE) Apple Health
