(Image source from: Apple)

Apple presented new capabilities of its Watch series during the ‘Awe Dropping’ event on September 9. Among these, the hypertension alerts feature was especially interesting to many users. However, the company was waiting for permission from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to launch this feature. As per Bloomberg, Apple got approval from the FDA on Thursday, September 11. This means the company can introduce the feature soon, probably on September 19, when its new items go on sale, which include the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air. The hypertension feature serves as a blood pressure monitor. The Apple Watch will be able to measure a person’s blood pressure and notify them if they have high blood pressure. The company asserts that the device will work quietly in the background and evaluate a user’s data over 30 days before sending hypertension notifications. If a user shows signs of long-term high blood pressure, their Apple Watch’s alert might prompt them to seek help. Apple claims that within a year of its launch, this feature could alert over a million individuals with undiagnosed high blood pressure.

Now that Apple has received FDA approval, the company plans to introduce the feature worldwide. According to its website, Apple intends to launch the blood pressure monitor in more than 150 countries, including the US and the European Union (EU). There is no information on whether or when it will be available in India. The new hypertension feature will first appear with the Apple Watch Series 11 and Watch Ultra 3. However, it won’t be exclusive to just these models. Apple will also extend the blood pressure monitor to earlier Watch versions, specifically the Watch Series 9, Watch Series 10, and Watch Ultra 2. The Apple Watch SE models will not have access to this monitor. Users should know that their Apple Watch must have WatchOS 26 to utilize hypertension notifications. For those interested in acquiring a new Apple Watch with this feature, pre-orders are open for the Watch Series 11 and Watch Ultra 3. The cost of the Watch Series 11 starts at Rs 46,900, while the Ultra 3 is priced at Rs 89,900.