The Apple Watch is about to get significant new health features

By Bryan M. Wolfe Published June 7, 2024

Apple Watch Series 7 on wrist from the back. — Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

We’re just days away from Apple’s huge Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2024) keynote. At that time, the company is expected to announce new software for its top-selling products, including the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro, and Apple Watch.

Among the many announcements, Apple is expected to unveil watchOS 11 for the Apple Watch. One of the significant features of this software update pertains to the Health app.

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According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Apple Watch Health app is gaining “improved blood pressure data management — in preparation for future Apple Watches to have hypertension detection.”

That’s correct. The new feature is being prepared for a future Apple Watch, possibly the Apple Watch Series 10, which is set to launch this fall. However, whatever is announced next week may also be available in some form on current Apple Watches, including the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Gurman also says the Health app “will better tailor data, such as cycle tracking, if a person is pregnant.” The watchOS 11 update is also expected to introduce an updated Siri interface and “major changes” to some key apps such as Fitness.

The WWDC 2024 keynote address will start at 10 a.m. PT on on Monday, June 10. As with previous events, it will be live-streamed on various platforms, including the web, Apple TV, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. If you can’t watch the event live, you can stream it later on your schedule on the same platforms.

Besides watchOS 11, WWDC will introduce the world to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, tvOS 18, visionOS 2, and macOS 15. A big focus of all these software updates should be AI, although other topics will surely be touched on.

Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer

Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.

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