On Monday, Apple held its Glowtime Event, during which it unveiled its new iPhone 16 line of flagship smartphones, built from the collection to use Apple Intelligence, the tech giant's take on artificial intelligence. But honestly, it wasn't the iPhone 16 that stole the show. it was the portable ones.
Along with the announcement of the iPhone 16, Apple, of course, released some new wearables to accompany the latest version of the annual smartphone.
The company that Jobs built announced a new Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 2 AirPods 4, AirPods 2 Pro and the $549 AirPods Max that only had a USB-C port and new colors, but that's in the form of updates.
While most of the accessories boast impressive technical features, two health-related features were the focus of Monday's Apple Event.
Sleep tracking is now a staple of all smartwatches and health monitoring apps. Pending FDA approval, Apple is moving forward with the Apple Watch's ability to now track sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a terrible condition that many people don't know they have. Those with the condition experience moments during sleep where they stop breathing.
According to Apple, sleep apnea can cause hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart problems if left untreated. During the keynote, Apple said more than 1 billion people worldwide are believed to be affected by the condition.
AirPods Pro 2 now double as hearing aids
Another great feature, also pending FDA approval, is the world's first All-In-One Hearing Health Experience, which Apple's AirPods Pro 2 buds will offer.
AirPods Pro 2 will now offer users hearing protection and allow them to take a hearing test to determine if they have hearing loss. According to Apple, 1.5 billion people worldwide live with hearing loss.
AirPods Pro 2 will also offer an innovative over-the-counter hearing aid for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.
After taking the clinical hearing test, your AirPods Pro 2 will become a clinical-grade hearing aid.
Per Apple:
Once set up, the feature allows for personalized dynamic adjustments so users can amplify the sounds around them in real time. This helps them participate better in conversation and keeps them connected to the people and environment around them. With the incredible sound quality of AirPods Pro, the user's personalized hearing profile is automatically applied to music, movies, games and phone calls on their devices without having to adjust any settings. Users can also set up their Hearing Aid with an audiogram created by a hearing healthcare professional.
New hearing health features will be available this fall for AirPods Pro 2 customers in a free software update when paired with an iPhone or iPad running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18.