In Australia, some Apple customers are experiencing a lack of key software features on their iPhones and Apple Watches following the company’s release of major operating system updates last week.
In a stark contrast to the US, over 150 countries have been affected as Australian Apple Watch users, who have updated their devices’ software, are now unable to utilize the sleep apnoea notifications feature due to its lack of acceptance from Australia’s health system regulatory body.
Apple has recently highlighted sleep apnoea notifications as a notable feature, marketing it as a significant enhancement to the overall health functionalities of its Apple Watch.
Australian customers have been hindered from leveraging RCS messaging, a supposedly enhanced messaging experience, despite claims from both Apple and its competitors that the technology would enable seamless communication between iOS and Android devices.
Despite RCS capabilities being integrated into Apple’s iOS 18 update on September 17, Australia’s major telecommunications providers have yet to announce support for the feature.
Apple faces mounting pressure from European regulators alongside a long-standing feud with Google, the original creator of the Android operating system.
When asked about the lack of sleep apnoea notifications on Apple Watch in Australia and native carriers’ failure to support RCS, Apple remained silent.
Sleep apnoea characteristic unapproved
Apple recently released the updated watchOS 11 for its Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2 models, introducing a novel feature capable of detecting signs of adult sleep apnea.
The feature became available simultaneously in the US, United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Union just before the Series 10’s launch on September 20.
While Australia and Canada were among the few remaining English-speaking countries that had yet to adopt this trait.
Sleep apnoea is a condition in which a person’s breathing is repeatedly interrupted while they are asleep.
Sleep disruptions can occur at an alarming rate, exceeding 30 episodes per hour in extreme cases, significantly compromising sleep quality and exponentially increasing the risk of coronary heart attack, stroke, and arrhythmic cardiac events.
Approximately one in twenty Australians, or roughly five per cent, are believed to suffer from sleep apnoea, according to research by Neuroscience Research Australia.
Apple’s WatchOS feature for sleep apnea notifications, pending regulatory clearance worldwide, alerts users to potential respiratory issues during sleep after detecting increased disturbances with their wearable device.
“According to Apple, their wearable device leverages the accelerometer to monitor subtle wrist movements that can be indicative of irregular breathing patterns.”
While introducing the potential as just one of several groundbreaking features unveiled in the latest Apple Watch Series 10 announcement last week, it was unclear how this innovation would ultimately resonate with consumers.
The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration declined to comment on whether Apple had submitted its sleep apnoea device for regulatory clearance, instead confirming that no such application has been approved.
After Samsung gained US regulatory approval for sleep apnoea notifications on its smartwatch early this year, it became the primary firm to offer this feature. Despite this milestone, the company’s innovation still awaits clearance in Australia.
According to Dr. Linda Schachter, a sleep specialist and board member of the Sleep Wellbeing Foundation, while Australia mustn’t allow a “free-for-all” when it comes to regulating medical devices, approving technologies that detect signs of sleep apnoea would enable people to monitor their health effectively?
“It is crucial that we are not lagging behind other countries in this regard,” said she, “as it would be beneficial for people to have access to devices that monitor variations in their respiratory and oxygen levels, potentially indicating sleep apnoea.”
“It’s an effective means of encouraging individuals to discuss their risk factors for sleep apnea with their physician, leading to formal evaluation and treatment.”
Noted health expert Schachter revealed that practitioners were witnessing a growing trend: individuals seeking guidance after receiving alerts from their wearables regarding potential health concerns, a phenomenon she found “unbelievably” remarkable.
According to a 2021 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, sleep-related respiratory issues were found to be “fairly frequent”, particularly prevalent among older men.
Such pressing public health concerns had long been overlooked, with their prevalence often underreported and their significant economic costs frequently unrecognized, according to the report.
Australia has been waiting patiently for Apple to release more affordable and smaller-sized Apple Watch options.
After a lengthy wait of several years, Australian Apple Watch users eagerly anticipated the rollout of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and irregular coronary heart rhythm notification features in their region.
In September 2018, Apple unveiled the Apple Watch Series 4, accompanied by the launch of these features in December of the same year, initially available in the US, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the options in March 2021, preceding their availability to Apple Watch users in May of the same year – a timeframe of nearly three years following their release in the United States.
After a wait of more than two years, Australians finally gained access to the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram (ECG) and irregular heart rhythm features. Picture: Apple / Provided
At the time, these options were widely hailed as game-changers by the medical community, providing patients with valuable insights that often translated into more informed discussions with general practitioners in their clinics.
Apple has removed blood oxygen monitoring functionality from US-bound Apple Watch shipments, effective January 18, 2024, due to a pending patent infringement lawsuit with healthcare technology company Masimo.
Telcos not supporting RCS
Australia’s users have been deprived of the ability to utilize a novel instantaneous messaging protocol introduced with Apple’s latest software updates, featuring seamless communication through SMS and MMS exchanges.
The Rich Communication Services (RCS) platform enables seamless communication between devices operating diverse operating systems, such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android, offering advanced features like typing indicators, read receipts, emoticon reactions, and high-quality multimedia, alongside enhanced group messaging capabilities.
Despite Apple’s introduction of RCS support in iOS 18, Australia’s leading telcos have yet to enable compatibility with the technology.
Telstra, Optus, and TPG Telecom/Vodafone have collectively verified that their networks currently do not support RCS (Rich Communication Services).
Despite this, TPG Telecom/Vodafone revealed that it is incorporating RCS into its product roadmap, with plans to “firm up” a launch date.
“A Telstra spokesperson noted that as partners make available new options like RCS messaging in Australia, the company will undertake necessary growth and testing to enable its customers.”
Apple’s highly anticipated synthetic intelligence software, Apple Intelligence, was unveiled last week and is expected to be rolled out gradually over the coming months.
