Excited About Apple Watch 11's Hypertension Feature? It's Coming To Older Models Too

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Apple Watch 11 spotlighted hypertension notifications astatine launch.
• The good people shows Series 9 and Ultra 2 owners besides benefit.
• Older Apple Watch models make upgrading little urgent for wellness monitoring.

Apple merchandise launches are among nan astir anticipated, intensely hyped tech events of nan year, particularly nan September iPhone extravaganza. The full tech manufacture pauses erstwhile Apple does its point because there's usually astatine slightest thing genuinely absorbing and new.

Also: Apple Event unrecorded updates 2025: Everything announced

For me, nan attraction grabber this clip was nan caller hypertension alerts coming to nan Apple Watch 11. It was nan first point nan presenters mentioned, and it's nan first descent connected the Apple Watch 11 page connected nan Apple site.

In fact, I was astir to preorder an Apple Watch 11 conscionable for that feature. I started penning my article to show you astir it erstwhile I decided to sojourn nan Apple Watch 11 page and make judge I had nan specifications correct astir pricing and availability.

But nan comparatively salient footnote successful nan mediate of nan promotion grabbed my attention. Sometimes, wellness features return a while to beryllium released because of regulatory approvals. I decided to publication nan footnote to get each nan details.

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

Here's what it says successful bigger print:

As of September 9, 2025, hypertension notifications are presently nether FDA reappraisal and expected to beryllium cleared this month, pinch readiness connected Apple Watch Series 9 and later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later.

Hmm…

My existent Apple Watch is simply a Series 9. It's perfectly functional, and nan artillery life is still good. It's successful beautiful bully condition, without a azygous scratch connected its face. It's moreover afloat equipped pinch GPS and cellular.

Also: You tin preorder Apple's caller devices this week: iPhone 17, Watch 11, AirPods Pro 3 and more

So, successful nan large print, Apple says, "Series 11 tin spot signs of chronic precocious humor unit and notify you of imaginable hypertension." Later down nan page, Apple says again, "And now Series 11 takes nan adjacent large measurement successful bosom wellness pinch a pioneering characteristic -- hypertension notifications."

Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET

I mean, does that aliases does that not really earnestly connote that nan hypertension notifications are caller pinch Series 11? And yet, nan mini people says older Apple Watches will besides get that feature.

I've contacted Apple PR about this. Are location immoderate features unsocial to nan Apple Watch 11 that will effect really this characteristic functions?

Apple Watch and wellness

Despite nan confusion, nan large takeaway present is that nan Apple Watch is simply a phenomenal instrumentality for basal wellness monitoring.

After a wellness scare a fewer years back, I've go very health-conscious. I eat right, enactment active, and show conscionable astir each captious motion I tin astatine home. I do person a digital humor unit cuff and a pulse oximeter that I support astir to return measurements, but I don't ever remember, and they're a spot of a hassle to use.

On nan different hand, nan humor oxygen app connected my Watch is correct there, arsenic is nan bosom complaint monitor. Whenever I'm stepping aliases doing immoderate benignant of strenuous activity, I often cheque those, because they're correct connected my wrist. I usage nan slumber tracker, again, because it's ever there, correct connected my wrist.

The hypertension notification characteristic is conscionable 1 much facet of nan Apple Watch that provides a reasonably decent quantified self-monitoring kit. Yes, there's nary uncertainty nan Apple Watch can't substitute for master analysis. But it's ever location and ever ready, and that's a large win.

Also: The champion Apple Watch: Here's nan champion smartwatch for you

Combine that pinch autumn alerts, GPS, and cellular service, and nan Apple Watch provides a heck of a batch of bid of mind for a portion of integrative and solid sitting connected your wrist. But do you request to bargain nan caller Series 11 to get this caller hypertension alert feature? I don't deliberation so.

Have you been considering upgrading to nan Apple Watch Series 11 conscionable for nan hypertension notification feature? Do you deliberation Apple should person made it clearer that nan alerts will besides beryllium disposable connected Series 9, Ultra 2, and later models? How overmuch do you trust connected your Apple Watch (or different wearable) for wellness monitoring compared to dedicated aesculapian devices for illustration a humor unit cuff? Do features for illustration these springiness you much bid of mind, aliases do you interest they mightiness supply a mendacious consciousness of security? Let america cognize successful nan comments below.

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