Despite only launching last week, the latest Apple Watch Series 10 is missing one new software feature for Aussie users — and it's a doozy for those upgrading to the new smartwatch for its impressive health tracking functions.
As per Information Age, Australians who have updated their Apple Watch 10 — or Series 9 or Ultra 2 — to WatchOS 11 over the weekend have found that they cannot use the sleep apnea notification feature. This is largely because Australia's health device regulator, The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), has yet to approve using the feature.
The feature, which was widely promoted in Apple's product launch earlier this month, is accessible in 150 countries and recently received FDA approval for users in the U.S. This comes as the new wave of Apple products was designed with "groundbreaking health features" to support those with conditions such as sleep apnea and hearing loss.
Apple says the feature "is intended to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea for people 18 years or older without a diagnosis of sleep apnea." In other words, it's not a true sleep apnea diagnosis, but can be used to help seek treatment.
Alongside Australia, countries like Canada and South Africa have missed out on the feature in the latest update. However, some forums suggest that the notifications can't be used in other regions that can supposedly access the feature, like The Netherlands.
We're not sure if Apple has submitted a claim to the TGA to get the feature approved for Aussie users, but if the FDA's six-month-long approval is anything to go by, it could be months before the feature is available. We’ve reached out to Apple for more information.
Other missing features
The Apple Watch Series 10 isn't the only product missing a few key features. The latest operating system update, iOS 18, rolled out RCS (Rich Communication Services) capabilities for users, meaning there would be a more seamless messaging experience between Apple and Android devices. However, Australia's major telecommunications providers have yet to support the capabilities.
RCS capabilities allow for an instant messaging protocol to replace the standard SMS and MMS between devices with different operating systems. So far, the big three telcos — Telstra, TPG and Optus — have yet to announce support for RCS.
As an avid iPhone user, nothing is more of a pet peeve than a green text message in a group chat, so having the option to use RCS would be welcomed by many. While there's no confirmed date as to when these capabilities may be available for Aussie users, we will keep you updated if this does pan out.
