Apple prospects in Australia are going with out some key software program options of their iPhones and Apple Watches after the corporate launched its main working system updates final week.
In contrast to in the USA and greater than 150 different nations, Australian customers who’ve up to date their Apple Watch software program are unable to make use of their units’ sleep apnoea notifications characteristic, because it has not been authorised by Australia’s well being system regulator.
Apple positioned sleep apnoea notifications as a key new characteristic in its latest product announcements earlier this month, and marketed it as “additional increasing” the well being capabilities of its Apple Watch.
Australian prospects have additionally been unable to make use of RCS messaging (Wealthy Communications Providers) on their iPhones, regardless of Apple and its opponents having stated it will enable for higher messaging experiences between Apple and Android units.
Whereas RCS capabilities have been included in Apple’s iOS 18 software program replace on 17 September, Australia’s main telecommunications suppliers haven’t introduced assist for the characteristic.
Apple decided to implement RCS following strain from European regulators and Google — the first developer of the Android working system.
Apple declined to remark concerning the dearth of sleep apnoea notifications on Apple Watch in Australia or native cellular carriers not supporting RCS.
Sleep apnoea characteristic unapproved
When Apple launched its up to date Apple Watch software program watchOS 11 final week, it added a brand new characteristic to its Sequence 9, 10 and Extremely 2 fashions which was designed to detect indicators of sleep apnoea in adults.
The characteristic was instantly obtainable in more than 150 countries together with the US, United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Union, simply earlier than the Sequence 10 went on sale on 20 September.
Australia and Canada have been among the many only a few English-speaking nations which had not but authorised the characteristic.
Sleep apnoea is a medical situation through which an individual experiences interrupted respiration whereas they’re asleep.
In its most extreme circumstances, sleeping might be interrupted greater than 30 occasions per hour, having main impacts on sleep high quality and growing the danger of coronary heart assault, stroke, and irregular coronary heart rhythms.
Round 5 per cent of Australians are estimated to expertise sleep apnoea, based on Neuroscience Analysis Australia.
The Apple Watch sleep apnoea notifications characteristic, which requires approval by the regulators in every respective nation, notifies a person when their Apple Watch notices a rise in respiration disturbances throughout sleep, Apple stated.
“Apple Watch makes use of the accelerometer to observe small actions on the wrist which are related to interruptions in regular respiratory patterns,” the corporate stated.
Whereas the potential was introduced as one of many key new options within the US version of the press release saying Apple Watch Sequence 10 final week, it was completely redacted from the Australian version.
Australia’s Therapeutic Items Administration (TGA) wouldn’t disclose whether or not Apple had submitted a sleep apnoea system for regulatory approval, however confirmed one had not but been authorised.
Samsung was the primary firm to supply sleep apnoea notifications on a wise watch after gaining regulatory approval within the US earlier this 12 months, however its characteristic additionally has not but been authorised in Australia.
Sleep doctor Dr Linda Schachter, a board member of the Sleep Well being Basis, stated whereas Australia mustn’t enable a “free for all” in relation to regulating medical units, approving applied sciences which detected indicators of sleep apnoea would assist folks monitor their well being.
“It is crucial that we aren’t behind different nations as a result of it will be nice to be getting folks taking a look at variations of their respiration and oxygen ranges on these units, which can recommend sleep apnoea,” she stated.
“It’s a great way to get folks to go and communicate to their physician about their dangers for sleep apnoea and get formally examined and handled.”
Schachter stated practitioners have been starting to see folks coming to them after being notified of potential issues by their wearable units, which she described as “unbelievable”.
Sleep-related respiration issues have been discovered to be “fairly frequent” however occured extra typically in older males, based on a 2021 report by the Australian Institute of Well being and Welfare.
Such issues have been public well being points that have been typically seen as “unrecognised, under-reported, and that has excessive financial prices”, the report stated.
Australia waited years for earlier Apple Watch options
Australian Apple Watch customers beforehand waited years for the system’s electrocardiogram (ECG) and irregular coronary heart rhythm notification options to develop into obtainable domestically.
Apple introduced the options with the Apple Watch Sequence 4 in September 2018 and launched them in December of that 12 months within the US, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.
The options have been authorised by Australia’s TGA in March 2021, earlier than changing into obtainable to Apple Watch customers in Could of that 12 months, two-and-a-half years after they have been made obtainable within the US.
Australians waited greater than two years for the Apple Watch’s ECG and irregular coronary heart rhythm options to develop into obtainable domestically. Picture: Apple / Equipped
On the time, the options have been heralded as breakthroughs by many medical professionals, as they offered sufferers with helpful knowledge which they typically introduced into GP clinics.
Within the US, Apple eliminated blood oxygen monitoring capabilities from its Apple Watches starting on 18 January 2024, resulting from an ongoing patent dispute between the agency and medical units firm Masimo.
Telcos not supporting RCS
One other new characteristic of Apple’s newest software program updates which Australians haven’t be capable of use is RCS — an on the spot messaging protocol designed to switch SMS and MMS.
RCS permits for conversations between units which run completely different working programs (akin to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android) which have options akin to typing indicators, learn receipts, emoji reactions, and high-quality multimedia, in addition to higher group messaging.
Whereas Apple’s iOS 18 software program enabled RCS, Australia’s main telecommunications suppliers haven’t introduced assist for it.
Telstra, Optus, and TPG Telecom/Vodafone confirmed their networks didn’t at the moment assist RCS.
Nevertheless, TPG Telecom/Vodafone stated it was constructing [RCS] into its “product roadmap” and would “agency up a launch date”.
A Telstra spokesperson stated “as assist for brand new options like RCS messaging are made obtainable in Australia by our companions, Telstra will discover growth and testing that’s required to allow for our prospects.”
Apple’s anticipated synthetic intelligence software program, Apple Intelligence, was not available on the company’s new devices once they have been launched final week, however are anticipated to roll out slowly over the approaching months
* This story first appeared on Information Age. You may learn the original here.
