Earlier this year, Apple enabled the transmission of non-emergency satellite messages from the iPhone. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company may do the same for the next Apple Watch Ultra model in addition to the blood pressure monitoring feature that has long been rumored.
Satellite notifications in the Watch Ultra have been rumored even before we knew what the sporty version of Apple’s XL-sized smartwatch would be called. According to Gurman’s description, it will work just like the iPhone, allowing you to send text messages from the watch without a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.
He also reports that Apple is replacing Intel modems in the Apple Watch with a component from MediaTek, but has no plans to use in-house developed modems for these devices. The new component, included in “at least some models,” may also support RedCap, a 5G service designed for wearables and the Internet of Things that sacrifices extra antennas and maximum bandwidth to reduce cost and extend battery life.
The addition of a satellite service could help Apple lure some Garmin inReach fans who may want to own one less thing, even if the inReach’s hundreds of hours of battery life still win out on long hikes. Presumably, the service will be provided by Globalstar, Apple’s satellite partner for the iPhone, a 20 percent stake in which it acquired last month.
As for blood pressure monitoring, Gurman says it “could come as early as 2025,” but he reminds us that the feature has been delayed in the past. Similar to Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection and other medical features, this feature won’t offer specific measurements, but it can let you know if you seem to have hypertension.
