Apple’s latest event highlights its Continued Bet on Health

Apple’s recent event highlighted the company’s continued interest in monitoring human health. In what was called the “iPhone 16 event,” the company went beyond just announcing its new iPhone models, but also showed off the important health features that will be available through new models of Apple Watch and AirPods.

Specifically, the company announced that the latest Apple Watch will now be able to help users track sleep apnea, using a new metric called “Breathing Disturbances.” This technology is unprecedented, and will use the device’s accelerometer to detect movements that indicate disruption of normal sleep breathing patterns. Armed with this information, users will be able to understand their sleep metrics over time and conduct informed discussions and identify potential trends with their physicians.

Why is this important? In addition to people not being able to rest and recover fully, sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of long-term health problems. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of heart failure, chronic hypertension and arrhythmias.

Now, with the extensive Apple Watch ecosystem, users will be able to understand and control their sleep patterns.

Another important thing that Apple announced this week was a big leap in hearing technology with its AirPods. Apple launched its hearing study in collaboration with the University of Michigan and the World Health Organization to better understand headphone listening habits, the impact of environmental sound exposure on hearing health, the relationship between the health of the senses and the heart and other parts.

The company has seen rapid adoption of its AirPods devices around the world – known for their noise canceling features and high sound quality. Now, Apple has announced that the AirPods Pro will offer “Hearing Protection” that will “reduce loud noises that exceed 48,000 times per second.” In addition, Apple is also launching a clinical hearing test with AirPods for users to understand their hearing level and potential hearing loss in each ear. As with the Apple Watch, this information can be collected to communicate with the doctor to ensure the right measures.

Finally, AirPods Pro will now be able to be used as hearing aids for the medical team. This means users can configure the headphones and customize them to amplify the sounds around them. As Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives says, “These features in AirPods Pro will impact a lot of people by driving more awareness about hearing health and empowering people with the devices. new ones that can help them stay connected.”

Although specific technologies for hearing aids and sleep detection are not new, the introduction of these features into consumer-friendly and highly reliable wearable devices is unprecedented. Apple Watch and AirPods are among the best-selling products in the company’s arsenal – and now, the company is expanding with even more important features.

Apple certainly isn’t the only company investing heavily in personal devices and the health monitoring market. Google’s Pixel Watch also has a loyal following, and it can track heart rate, has ECG functionality, can verify the user’s blood oxygen levels, and can even access apps. emergency services if a fall is observed. Another device that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years is the Oura Ring, which uses proprietary technology to monitor heart rate, detect sleep patterns and measure temperature.

As competition in this field grows, companies must quickly innovate in the features they offer and how they can better serve customers. The key behind these tools will be to ensure that the information collected is maintained with the highest standards of privacy, security and customer protection. However, if used correctly, these tools have the potential to have a positive effect on human health.