Apple Unveils Watch Series 11 and AirPods Pro 3 with Advanced Health Features

Apple has introduced significant health monitoring capabilities in its latest wearable devices during today's product event. The Apple Watch Series 11 will feature chronic high blood pressure detection and comprehensive sleep scoring, while the AirPods Pro 3 will incorporate heart rate sensing technology and expanded fitness tracking capabilities. The new product lineup will be available for preorder today and launch on September 19 across 150 countries and regions.

The AirPods Pro 3 represents Apple's entry into ear-based health monitoring, featuring custom-built heart rate sensors that can track cardiovascular data during workouts. The earbuds support over 50 different workout types and provide calorie burn estimates, positioning them as a comprehensive fitness companion. Battery life has been extended to 10 hours on a single charge, addressing previous limitations in continuous health monitoring. The AirPods Pro 3 will retail for $249.

The Apple Watch Series 11 introduces hypertension notifications powered by optical heart sensor technology that analyzes blood vessel responses to heartbeats. The algorithm operates continuously in the background, reviewing blood pressure patterns over 30-day periods to identify potential chronic high blood pressure conditions. "Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user's blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart," the tech giant said.

Apple's hypertension detection technology is based on medical studies involving 100,000 participants. While the company acknowledges the Watch will not detect all instances of hypertension, it projects the feature will identify over one million individuals with undiagnosed high blood pressure within its first year of deployment. The company is awaiting clearance from the FDA and other regulatory bodies, which it expects to receive "soon."

Sleep monitoring has been enhanced with a new sleep score feature that evaluates sleep quality through analysis of sleep duration and other metrics. The entry-level Apple Watch SE 3 will also include health features such as sleep score, sleep apnea notifications, wrist temperature sensing, and retrospective ovulation estimates, making advanced health monitoring more accessible to budget-conscious consumers.

The Watch lineup includes 5G cellular connectivity and will launch alongside watchOS 26 this fall, which introduces a "Workout Buddy" feature. Apple also unveiled its iPhone 17 lineup, including the iPhone Air at 5.6mm thickness, though no new health features were announced for the smartphone series. The coordinated release demonstrates Apple's continued expansion of health monitoring capabilities across its ecosystem, with particular emphasis on preventive care and early detection of chronic conditions.

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