Apple Watch 2025: blood pressure measurement, satellite messaging and 5G planned
Apple's sales of wearables are declining. Basic functions relating to health and safety should attract new Watch buyers in 2025.
(Image: Sebastian Trepesch)
In the further development of its smartwatches, Apple is focusing on the major drivers of health and security: according to a report, support for satellite messaging is planned as a key innovation for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is expected in fall 2025. Far away from mobile networks and in dead spots, wearers of the watch could continue to communicate via satellite using iMessage and SMS and make text-based emergency calls – even without an iPhone. Apple has supported text messages via satellite on smartphones since iOS 18, but so far only in North America.
Blood pressure monitoring and 5G
At the same time, Apple is also working on bringing blood pressure monitoring to the Watch, as the financial news agency Bloomberg reports, citing sources close to the matter. This type of functionality was originally expected as early as 2024, but is missing from the new Apple Watch Series 10. Concrete values for diastolic and systolic blood pressure are not expected to be provided by watchOS; instead, users will be made aware of trends and alerted to possible signs of high blood pressure.
Whether Apple will only bring blood pressure monitoring to 2025 watches or also to the current Series 10 and Ultra 2 models remains to be seen. Competitors such as Samsung already offer blood pressure measurement via smartwatch, where the function must be regularly calibrated based on measurements with a classic blood pressure monitor.
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According to the financial news agency, Apple will rely on a new mobile chip in the Watch in future. Instead of an Intel baseband, the manufacturer will use a Mediatek modem for the first time and thus also provide support for 5G networks. Specifically, support for "5G Redcap" is being discussed, which stands for reduced 5G functions ("reduced capabilites") and is intended for small and economical devices. Apple is working on an in-house mobile modem for iPhones, but no counterpart appears to be in the works for the Watch.
Declining sales with Apple wearables
Apple's wearables division, which includes the Apple Watch, has long been on a growth trajectory. However, sales have declined in the past two financial years. The innovations in Apple Watches are now often manageable from year to year. Apple only refreshed the Apple Watch Ultra in the autumn with a new case color, internally it remained the same as in 2023.
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