After years of development, Apple is finally bringing blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch. This could help health-conscious users track their blood pressure and potentially detect hypertension earlier.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Cupertino giant will include this feature in the upcoming Apple Watch models expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17 in 2025.
It’s helpful to know the basics of blood pressure measurement before we understand how this new feature will work. A blood pressure measurement consists of two readings:
- Systolic (pressure in your arteries when the heart beats)
- Diastolic (pressure when your heart rests between beats)
These represent the top and bottom numbers in a blood pressure reading. For example, in a reading of 120/70, 120 is the systolic pressure, and 70 is the diastolic.
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch will not provide exact systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements. Instead, it will track blood pressure trends and indicate potential hypertension. If elevated blood pressure is detected, it will issue an alert, prompting the user to seek medical advice and further testing.
This limitation is likely due to the challenges of achieving accurate blood pressure readings on the wrist with current smartwatch technology. Dedicated blood pressure smartwatches like the BP Doctor Med use inflatable cuffs for precise measurements, but Apple can’t design an entire watch around one feature. Samsung Galaxy Watches have offered blood pressure monitoring since the Watch 4, but they require calibration with a traditional blood pressure monitor every two weeks. Instead of requiring frequent calibration, Apple may prioritize convenience and user experience and therefore may opt to display trends rather than precise readings.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), high blood pressure affects approximately 1.3 billion people globally and is responsible for around 10 million deaths annually. The bigger problem is that hypertension often presents no noticeable symptoms, making it difficult to detect without regular monitoring. A convenient way to track blood pressure trends, like the upcoming Apple Watch feature, could therefore be a useful tool in combating this ‘silent killer.’
As per the report, Apple will likely introduce blood pressure monitoring in Apple Watch Ultra 3. Ultra 3 was initially expected to launch this year. Instead, Apple released a black version of the existing Ultra 2 model. There’s also a possibility that blood pressure monitoring may be included in the standard Apple Watch Series 11. Both smartwatches are expected to launch alongside the iPhone 17 series in September 2025.
However, do note that the feature has been delayed since 2022, so it’s still possible that Apple may delay it further.
As of today, the Apple Watch is loaded with several health and lifesaving features like fall detection, heart rate tracking, irregular heart rhythm (Afib) alerts, sleep apnea detection, and ECG. Besides blood pressure monitoring, Apple is also reportedly working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, which it may bring to future Apple Watch models.
