Apple Watch Series 10 Prototype With Unique Health Sensor Revealed

The account @StellaFudge today shared photos of an alleged Apple Watch Series 10 prototype with a unique health sensor design.

Series 10 Prototype 16x9 1
The health sensor on the prototype has a smaller array of LEDs compared to actual Apple Watch Series 10 models that launched last year. There is also an extra ring of lights around the sensor's perimeter, but it is unclear what it is for.

The prototype was running an internal build of watchOS 11.1 that was never released to the public, according to @StellaFudge.


The health sensor on the back of the Apple Watch is used to measure the wearer's heart rate, as well as blood oxygen on models sold outside of the United States only due to a patent dispute. It is unclear why the sensor looks different on this prototype, but the changes likely related to Apple testing future health features for the Apple Watch.

For example, Apple has reportedly been testing a feature that could alert you to signs of high blood pressure. This feature was first rumored a few years before the Apple Watch Series 10 launched, but Apple continues to face development challenges. It is unclear if the feature will be ready in time for the Apple Watch Series 11.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone Car Key WWDC 2025

Apple Announces 13 Automakers Planning to Offer iPhone Car Keys

Friday June 27, 2025 11:42 am PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. During its WWDC 2025 keynote, Apple said that 13...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
anker power bank recall

PSA: Anker Recalls Multiple Power Banks Due to Fire Risk

Friday June 27, 2025 4:16 pm PDT by
Popular accessory maker Anker this month launched two separate recalls for its power banks, some of which may be a fire risk. The first recall affects Anker PowerCore 10000 Power Banks sold between June 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022 in the United States. Anker says that these power banks have a "potential issue" with the battery inside, which can lead to overheating, melting of plastic...
Chase Sapphire Reserve Apple Perk Feature

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Introduces New Perk for Apple Customers

Wednesday June 25, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Chase this week announced a series of new perks for its premium Sapphire Reserve credit card, and one of them is for a pair of Apple services. Specifically, the credit card now offers complimentary annual subscriptions to Apple TV+ and Apple Music, a value of up to $250 per year. If you are already paying for Apple TV+ and/or Apple Music directly through Apple, those subscriptions will...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...

Top Rated Comments

John_Blackthorne Avatar
13 weeks ago

It's for blood pressure. Gurman talked about this in 2023. He reported later Apple faced difficulty getting accurate readings from it.

"A new sensor to detect when a person’s blood pressure is elevated. The initial system won’t show a user their exact systolic and diastolic measurements, but the company is working on a follow-up version for later that could. This will be coupled with a new blood pressure journal so a user can notate what was happening when hypertension occurred."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-01/apple-plans-hypertension-sleep-apnea-detection-for-next-watch
I have hypertension and take medication. It is a serious enough of a medical condition and concern I would not trust Apple Watch to measure it any way, even for fun.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tennisproha Avatar
13 weeks ago

I have hypertension and take medication. It is a serious enough of a medical condition and concern I would not trust Apple Watch to measure it any way, even for fun.
You'd be surprised how inaccurate some of the equipment labeled medical-grade actually is
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
13 weeks ago
It's for blood pressure. Gurman talked about this in 2023. He reported later Apple faced difficulty getting accurate readings from it.

"A new sensor to detect when a person’s blood pressure is elevated. The initial system won’t show a user their exact systolic and diastolic measurements, but the company is working on a follow-up version for later that could. This will be coupled with a new blood pressure journal so a user can notate what was happening when hypertension occurred."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-01/apple-plans-hypertension-sleep-apnea-detection-for-next-watch
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jgdeschamps Avatar
13 weeks ago
Just my opinion if this sensor array is indeed for blood pressure readings:
I've been living with essential HBP (unclear cause for it, take daily medication) for the last 8 years, and I wouldn't trust any wearable's readings for it. Dedicated BP wrist-worn "medical-grade" monitor devices for this purpose are awful. Many times I don't even trust my automatic digital arm BP monitor for it, and reach out for my old-school stethoscope and mercury-scale baumanometer, just to confirm.
I think it would be a very hard to sell feature to people with blood pressure conditions, unless there is some sort of medical breakthrough that really sets monitoring apart from current tech.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DreadedFun Avatar
13 weeks ago

I have hypertension and take medication. It is a serious enough of a medical condition and concern I would not trust Apple Watch to measure it any way, even for fun.
And you shouldn't rely on a Apple Watch for any medical reasons.

My Apple Watch doesn't keep me alive and I don't rely on it. However, if there's a chance that it will register my bad fall and call for help, I don't complain. Should I be caught in a situation without my phone, but I have to call for help, I would not shy away from using my cellular Apple Watch to make the call. If my watch warns me about abnormal high heart rate, I would look into it. Just like if I had hypertension, I would welcome the watch to warn me, if there should be anything out of the ordinary that would warrant a check with a full blown blood pressure machine. Just like you shouldn't rely on all the safety systems in your car, but it's nice when they are there.

Point is, that the Apple Watch is not as good as the best solutions, but it sits on you all the time and can do multiple checks, automatically, all day, and maybe warn about things before they get worse.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John_Blackthorne Avatar
13 weeks ago

Without a radical breakthrough that negates the need to restrict blood flow in order to measure BP consistently and accurately, I don’t see any wrist-top watch-like device being of any use for BP measurement any time soon. I think even when we start getting such devices, the sensor’s operating parameters affected by amount of pressure the device has to exert on the skin, skin moisture, or any parameter affected by how the user chooses to wear the watch (position, tightness of strap) will make them useless for some time after that for anyone with an actual meed to monitor BP. Approximations are not useful, especially if consistency across readings cannot be achieved due to some of the issues above.


I am not a doctor but I’ve had the same doctor for almost 20 years and I would bet money that this is exactly what he would say to me if I asked him about any wristwatch device.
100%. It's why my doctor makes me bring in my personal blood pressure monitor to appointments, because consistency of tools is important. I still see people checking their blood pressure in like those things in CVS stores and I sorta shake my head.

I appreciate Apple's push into health, but this is not a mass market, lowest common denominator thing.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)