Apple Watch Ultra 3 May Get New Life-Saving Feature

Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg on a potential Apple Watch Ultra 3 feature coming next year that could save lives. Gurman's report also includes an update on the status of current health and safety features for future Apple Watches that are currently in development.

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According to a reliable report from Gurman’s, Apple is planning to introduce satellite text messaging capability once the next version of the Apple Watch Ultra is released. This would mark the first time Apple has added satellite connectivity to the Apple Watch. Using the Ultra form factor first makes sense, given that it has twice the battery life of the much sleeker Series models.

Like current iPhones, satellite connectivity will include the ability to send text messages when disconnected from Wi-Fi or cellular service, as long as the user has a clear view of the sky. This feature is especially appealing to Apple Watch users who go offline without their iPhone. It could also be useful if your iPhone is lost or damaged in an accident that occurs without Wi-Fi or cellular service.

Additionally, Gurman was the first to report that the Apple Watch will switch from Intel cellular modems to MediaTek. The switch will likely mean the Apple Watch will switch from LTE to a “lower-end 5G service” for connected devices. Plans to put an Apple-designed modem in the Apple Watch are not on the radar, despite the iPhone being a target for the move.

In the meantime, Apple continues to develop a blood pressure feature that could detect signs of hypertension without providing specific readings. Apple is also working on non-invasive blood glucose tracking, but Gurman says that feature will come later.

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