The all-new Sleep Apnea detection feature introduced with the Apple Watch Series 10 is a game-changer in health tracking. Using the watch’s accelerometer, it monitors subtle wrist movements associated with breathing disruptions, and an advanced algorithm analyzes this data to alert users of potential signs of Sleep Apnea, a serious breathing disorder. The feature will also roll out to last year’s Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 via a software update.
Apple Watch Series 10: Sleep Apnea Detection Delayed in Malaysia
While Sleep Apnea detection sounds promising, it won’t be available in Malaysia just yet. According to an Apple representative, the feature still needs clearance from the Ministry of Health’s Medical Device Authority (MDA). Though it recently received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is already available to users in the US, Malaysians will have to wait for local regulatory approval before it becomes accessible here.
This is not the first time Malaysians have had to wait for health-related features to be enabled. The ECG (electrocardiogram) tool, introduced with the Apple Watch in 2018, only became available in Malaysia three years later due to similar regulatory delays. Apple has already submitted a request for Sleep Apnea detection approval to the MDA but has yet to receive a response.
On the brighter side, blood oxygen monitoring is available to Malaysian users, despite being removed from Apple Watch models sold in the US. This restriction in the US is due to an ongoing legal battle between Apple and Masimo, a medical device company that accused Apple of infringing on its patented pulse oximeter technology.
For now, Malaysians can enjoy blood oxygen monitoring, but Sleep Apnea detection remains in regulatory limbo. Hopefully, it won’t take as long as the ECG tool to be approved.
Pokdepinion: Given how seriously people have been taking health-centric features, it’s a necessary move to get proper approvals. On another point, it will also add some level of legitimacy.
