Following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance on Thursday, Apple will release a new hypertension detection feature on its smartwatch next week, Bloomberg News reported. The company first revealed a blood pressure monitor in its latest Apple Watch during the September 9 event, where it also unveiled a new iPhone lineup, including a slimmer iPhone Air.
Apple has stated that while the feature, which was pending regulatory approval, will not detect every case of high blood pressure, it could alert up to a million people. According to the Bloomberg report, the tool will be available in 150 countries. It will use data from the watch’s optical heart sensor to track how a user’s blood vessels respond to heartbeats over a 30-day period.
The new feature is set to be available on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Series 11, as well as the more premium Ultra 2 and Ultra 3 smartwatches.
