Apple’s most impactful watchOS 11 feature will require this fall’s new Apple Watch

Next week’s WWDC is going to be all about software. iOS 18 will introduce a host of new AI capabilities dubbed ‘Apple Intelligence’ that are sure to be the star of the show.

Per a new report, however, watchOS 11 is surprisingly set to offer its own highly transformative feature for users. The catch? That feature will require this fall’s new Apple Watch to use it.

watchOS 11 to enable blood pressure management

Mark Gurman writes for Bloomberg:

The Health app is getting some upgrades, including improved blood pressure data management — in preparation for future Apple Watches to have hypertension detection.

Blood pressure data management will be huge for Apple Watch users. It will be available in the Health app, but that will only be possible thanks to watchOS 11’s support for upcoming Apple Watch hardware with a blood pressure sensor.

That’s right, Apple is set to introduce a major new health sensor into this fall’s Apple Watch Series 10, and it will make blood pressure detection easier and more accessible than ever.

Apple Watch Series 10 adding blood pressure sensor

Gurman at Bloomberg, writing last November:

The planned addition of a blood pressure sensor to the Apple Watch next year is a pathbreaking technology. In its first iteration, however, the system is designed to just tell a user if their blood pressure is trending upward and to offer a journal for the user to jot down what was happening when hypertension occurred. To avoid potentially giving a misdiagnosis, the feature will then direct a user to talk to their doctor or check their blood pressure with a traditional cuff, which can provide exact systolic and diastolic measurements. A future version of the system is in the works with an ability to provide exact numbers — and even diagnose related conditions.

watchOS currently requires an external blood pressure monitor, or a trip to the doctor’s office, to store your Health data. But in watchOS 11, with a new, compatible Apple Watch model you’ll be able to get blood pressure readings directly off your Watch—no other device necessary.

9to5Mac’s Take

The Apple Watch continues to lean heavily into its role as a health-focused device, and blood pressure monitoring will be a major step forward this fall. I’m interested to see what all Apple shares at WWDC regarding the new data management tools for blood pressure as a not-so-subtle hint of what’s coming to its new Watch hardware in the fall.