Apple Watch Series 10 Could Have Upgraded Heart Rate Sensor and Better Water Resistance

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 models that Apple will introduce next week could include an updated heart rate and ECG sensor that will enable new health features like sleep apnea detection, reports 9to5Mac. Sleep apnea detection has been long rumored for the Series 10, but it was believed to rely on blood oxygen monitoring, a feature that is disabled in current-generation U.S. Apple Watch models due to patent issues.

Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing while asleep, which can lead to excessive tiredness. It is usually diagnosed through a sleep study, and fixing it requires a breathing appar atus like a CPAP machine. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 will reportedly be able to detect sleep apnea using Apple Watch sleep tracking, providing a reading after collecting sleep data for several days.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that the new Apple Watch Series 10 models will have larger 45mm and 49mm display sizes, but 9to5Mac claims that the resolutions are lower than current 45mm and 49mm models, and the site believes that the Series 10 will come in 44mm and 48mm sizes. The new watch sizes will be highlighted by a new "Reflections" watch face, as well as a "Regatta" Hermès watch face.

The Hermès watch face will also be available on the Apple Watch Ultra 3, hinting at the first Hermès band for the Ultra. An Hermès band with what could be titanium lugs was recently spotted on eBay, further suggesting that Hermès will design bands for the larger, more rugged Apple Watch.

With the display size increase and a redesign that will see the new model offering reduced thickness, Apple could also boost water resistance, certifying the device for high-speed water sports up to 20 meters deep. The new Series 10 models may get the Depth app, which was first introduced for the Apple Watch Ultra.

Other new features coming to the Series 10 include an upgraded S10 chip and new OLED display technology that is more power efficient. More information on rumors we've heard about the Series 10 can be found in our guide.

There are no other features planned for the Apple Watch Ultra, and though not mentioned in the report, Apple also plans to refresh the Apple Watch SE.