Blood Pressure Monitoring, Sleep Apnea Detection, and a New Look are Coming to the Apple Watch in 2024

Recently, Mark Gurman shared in his newsletter that the next generation of Apple Watch models will feature some improvements. In contrast to what he claims, the 2023 series of the Apple Watch has fewer updates. Notably, the upcoming smartwatches will come with a new feature set.

According to him, one smartwatch will feature an upgraded look. Gurman has not specified which smartwatch will feature it. However, going by the assumption, it could be the standard Apple Watch. In 2022, the company introduced the Apple Watch Ultra. According to some rumors, the watch could get a big microLED display. In contrast to this, the current scenario suggests that the company might not do so until 2025 or 2026.

In his previous reports, Gurman claimed that the company might be working on a major update to celebrate ten years of the Apple Watch. In September 2014, the company announced the Apple Watch and released it in April 2015. From this perspective, it is unclear whether the ten-year period is with respect to 2014 or 2015. Given that Gurman hinted at a design refresh for 2024, the “Apple Watch Series 10” may be the “anniversary” model. The watch is scheduled for release in 2024.

The updated smartwatch could feature a new magnetic mechanism for connecting bands, a thinner design, and new health features like hypertension detection and sleep apnea. In November, Gurman claimed that the updated smartwatch will be able to inform users whether their blood pressure is trending upward or downward. However, it won’t include the exact systolic and diastolic measurements that might be included with future upgrades.

The same blood pressure monitoring feature will also detect hypertension. In addition to this, with the help of sleep measurements and breathing patterns, sleep apnea could be detected. An overnight sleep center sleep study is frequently necessary to diagnose sleep apnea; therefore, the Apple Watch may somewhat facilitate the process.