Sleep apnoea alert feature on iPhone and Apple Watch still withheld for Australian’s ⌚❌
Some Key iPhone and Apple Watch Features Missing for Australians. Why sleep apnoea alerts and better messaging aren’t available yet.
Apple recently released new software updates for its iPhones and Apple Watches, but some key features are missing for users in Australia. Unlike in many other countries, Australians can’t yet access certain health alerts on their Apple Watches or use improved messaging services on their iPhones.
Missing Health Alerts on Apple Watch
A new feature to alert people about potential sleep apnoea—a condition that affects breathing during sleep—was introduced with the latest Apple Watch update. This feature is available in over 150 countries, but not in Australia. The reason? The Australian government’s health regulator hasn’t yet approved it.
Sleep apnoea is a condition where breathing stops and starts during sleep, which can lead to poor sleep quality and increase the risk of health issues like heart problems. Apple Watches are designed to monitor breathing patterns and alert the wearer if there are signs of sleep apnoea. However, this feature won’t be available in Australia until it gets the green light from health authorities.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is responsible for approving health-related features, and it hasn’t yet given approval for Apple’s sleep apnoea alerts. Other countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, have already approved it.
Why It Matters
Experts believe that having this feature could help people keep track of their health and talk to their doctor if they notice breathing problems during sleep. This could lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnoea, which is especially important for older adults, as sleep disorders are more common in this age group.
Older adults are much more likely to have sleep apnea than younger people. Approximately 5% of Australians have Sleep Apnoea, and its prevalence tends to rise with age due to increased relaxation of throat muscles during sleep. One study found that 56% of people age 65 and older have a high risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. While sleep apnea is more common in men before the age of 50, it occurs at about the same rate in men and women after age 50 [1].
Apple Watch Users Have Waited Before
This isn’t the first time Australians have had to wait for health-related Apple Watch features. For example, Apple’s electrocardiogram (ECG) and irregular heart rhythm notifications, which help monitor heart health, took over two years to become available in Australia after they were released in the U.S.
Improved Messaging Also Unavailable
Another feature missing for Australians is improved messaging called Rich Communications Services (RCS). RCS allows for better messaging between iPhones and Android phones. With RCS, you would be able to see when someone is typing, send high-quality photos, and even react to messages with emojis—features that go beyond regular SMS text messaging.
Although Apple included RCS in its latest iPhone update, the major mobile phone networks in Australia—Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone—don’t yet support it. This means Australians can’t use these advanced messaging features yet. Vodafone has said they plan to add RCS in the future, but no date has been set.
What to Expect Next
While these missing features may be disappointing, there is hope that they will eventually become available in Australia. The sleep apnoea alerts could help people monitor their health more closely, and RCS messaging would make it easier to communicate with friends and family who use Android phones.
For now, Australians will have to wait for the necessary approvals and support from local networks before they can enjoy these new features.
Source:
1. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Study Finds High Rate of Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea in Older Adults. May 11, 2018. Found on the internet at https://foundation.aasm.org/aasm-foundation-study-published-jags/
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This article was written by Tom Williams and first published on the Information Age ACS, 24 September 2024. Read article
