When Apple presented its first Watch it was immediately clear that it was something revolutionary: an object that changed our relationship with health, from then on having a tool that could tell us about our lifestyle in real time. Many steps have been counted since then, many lives (yes, this too) have been saved, if we think that in 9 years – i.e. until the end of 2024 – 230 million units were sold worldwide and the detection of atrial fibrillation made it possible to intervene promptly. And many competitors came to the market, because the smart watch eventually became an indispensable accessory.
There is no doubt, in short, that Apple had a new vision, and its wrist products are still widely purchased, especially by those who want to link their smartwatch to their phone completely. In short: the marriage between iPhone and Apple Watch remains perfect, and so we tried version 11 of the wrist device with the 17 Pro, to understand how Cupertino technology has brought even more advanced tools for monitoring our personal well-being. Always with a simple user experience as Apple wants.
Sleep and hypertension: the life-saving innovations of Apple Watch 11
Apple Watch 11 brought two big new features to its basic model: the measurement of sleep quality through a “sleep score” system and notifications for hypertension. In the first case, the new sleep monitoring provides a summary score based on duration, regularity, phases and nocturnal awakenings, offering personalized advice derived from clinical studies and developments in collaboration with the National Sleep Foundation. Not sleeping is known to have side effects on mood, anxiety, physical performance and cardiac activity. And in the Watch everything is connected, so that we have the outcome of our rest period every morning. Thanks to this report we can always monitor the state of our body (important, for example, is the heart rhythm during the night) and the remedy for any problems detected.
The other truly life-saving feature is the one that measures hypertension using blood vessel analysis through the optical cardiac sensor. Fortunately, in our case, everything is almost in order (ah, the age…), but if the analysis of the changes in the stiffness of the blood vessels indicates some inconvenience, here is part of plan B. To clarify: Apple Watch 11 does not measure blood pressure, but is capable of sending a notification to encourage the user to use an external blood pressure monitor and record the values on a blood pressure log in the Health app for 7 days, in order to obtain more complete information to offer to doctor. All this after monitoring for at least 30 days, which is then repeated for another 7 in the event of suspicious and potentially dangerous values for cardiovascular health.
The functionality that signals sudden falls also remains of vital importance: in this case the Watch automatically raises the alarm and allows help to arrive even if the user is unconscious.
Apple intelligence and integration with iPhone 17 Pro
The integration with our iPhone 17 Pro was then improved thanks to the presence of Apple Intelligence: we know that Apple’s AI still has to reach higher standards, however the data collected by the Watch is quickly synchronized in the Health App. Which, thanks to the latest generation of chips, can provide faster analysis, predictive suggestions and timely notifications. Thanks to the advanced processor, health and fitness metrics are aggregated into dynamic dashboards that allow the user to view reports, weekly trends and receive personalized advice directly on the smartphone.
Thanks to the watchOS 26 operating system, functions such as Workout Buddy have also arrived (which analyzes training data and activity history to provide vocal encouragement by collecting the data of steps taken together), heart rate, closed loops in the app and other important values. All workouts for those who engage in physical activity can be customized and are quickly available on the specific “Training” app.
Sensor and hardware innovation
All of the above has a reason: Apple Watch 11 uses a new generation of sensors, with double heart rate monitor and wrist temperature detection, a calculation that increases precision in both activity tracking and night monitoring. Furthermore, the device, in addition to greater resistance than previous versions, offers greater autonomy (up to 24 hours), 5G connectivity, and improved materials (Ion-X glass or sapphire depending on the model), so as to be comfortable to wear during the day but also at night.
In practice, the “father” of all smartwatches has not aged at all, on the contrary.
The battery can now easily cover the day, and even if in the sector there are those who have done (much) better, the fast charging allows you to go for a shower and return with a full device. It’s a question of habit, they say in Cupertino, and given that the Apple Watch continues to be a desired object, these are evidently liked habits. Especially if, in fact, they serve to take care of oneself.