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By Alex Harrington
Sports Contributing Writer
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The United States Food and Drug Administration has cleared Apple's new hypertension detection feature, revealed recently for the Apple Watch. Granting clearance on Thursday, September 12, this will allow Apple to deploy blood pressure monitoring capabilities across a number of watch models, launching September 15 with the watchOS 26 update.
The feature uses the optical heart sensor on its watches to analyse how blood vessels react to heartbeats over an ongoing 30-day period. With the system constantly keeping an eye on these responses, it will alert users to any change in pattern that could indicate a higher blood pressure.
With it utilising sensors instead of the standard inflating arm cuff, this technology is a huge step forward for wearable gadgets, with it also being found on Samsung's Galaxy Watch using its internal Photoplethysmogram (PPG) sensor.
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After learning from training data on over 100,000 people, Apple is confident in its technology, with further validation stemming from clinical studies of more than 2,000 people.
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Available on the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer models, as well as the Ultra 2, the hypertension feature is featured as standard going forward.
Apple Watch Pricing in US Dollars
Apple Watch Series 10 (includes hypertension feature):
- 42mm GPS model: $399
- 46mm GPS model: $429
- 42mm GPS + Cellular: $499
- 46mm GPS + Cellular: $529
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (includes hypertension feature):
- Single 49mm model: $799
- Black Titanium with Milanese Loop: $899
Apple Watch Series 11 (announced September 2025, includes hypertension feature):
- Starting at $399
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (announced September 2025, includes hypertension feature):
- Starting at $799
The feature is set to launch in 150 countries and regions, including the United States, European Union, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. Alongside this, the watches will also feature ECG monitoring and sleep apnea detection as well as other digital health tools such as a Sleep Score evaluation and other fitness tracking apps.
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