At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple shared upcoming product features and functionality including “next generation” Apple Intelligence, and menopause cycle tracking for Health app users.
A series of 2027 releases are set to make Apple products more responsive and reliable, the company notes, offering enhancements to the ways users can communicate, share memories, and track their health.
Autumn 2026 will also see the introduction of support for perimenopause and menopause, with cycle tracking functionality and notifications relating to cycle deviations, Apple states.
Updates to parental controls and new tools around healthier screen time habits are further expected, with Apple highlighting a daily time allowance recommendation based on guidance from “leading clinical and child development experts”.
Late last year, Apple received US FDA clearance for their remote hypertension risk monitoring feature, set to be released on the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, 11, as well as the Ultra 2 and 3 models in over 150 countries.
The feature reportedly uses the optical heart sensor included with Apple Watch devices to measure vascular responses over a period of 30 days, gathering “accurate insights” around the risks associated with hypertension. It’s hoped this data will then be used to “support earlier intervention, empower patients to take control of their health, and provide healthcare professionals with real-time data to inform treatment decisions” on a global scale.
Wider trend: Health tech innovation
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has awarded £8 million to six innovations using AI and digital to speed up diagnosis and improve patient care. Innovations granted a share of the funding include SAMURAI-CT, an AI tool designed to detect “serious findings” from head CT scans with aims of reducing discharge times by more than 20 percent. It is currently being tested across Oxford University Hospitals, Royal Berkshire, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
NIHR’s Invention for Innovation Funding At the Speed of Translation (FAST) programme is offering funding between £50,000 and £100,000 over a period of six-to-twelve months for preventative technologies in the community care space. The programme is designed to support the real-world integration of tech aligned with the prevention agenda into community care settings such as neighbourhood health hubs, community diagnostic centres, and community pharmacies.
Barts Health NHS Trust has highlighted efficiencies achieved through the use of AI in handling patient complaints, sharing outcomes from a six month project at Newham Hospital. AI tools in use form part of the Microsoft Copilot system, and are approved for NHS use, the trust explains. All responses are reviewed and approved by staff members, and conversations, investigations, and clinical decisions are “always led by people”. Over a period of six months, the project resulted in increased efficiency in the complaints process, Barts Health shares. Key outcomes included a reduction of more than half in the amount of time spent drafting response letters, a “significant” reduction in the number of cases needing to be reopened, and an increased ability to respond to patients more quickly.
