Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 debuted today, with one of the tentpole new features being hypertension notifications. But it turns out, certain older Apple Watch models will support these hypertension alerts too. Hypertension notifications coming to three existing Apple Watch models in watchOS 26 Today after the conclusion of its ‘Awe dropping’ event, Apple debuted the RC (release candidate) version of watchOS 26. The forthcoming Apple Watch software update will ship to all users next Monday, September 15. And per its full release notes, there’s a surprise feature coming to older Watch models. The brand new hypertension notifications demoed for Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are also coming to the following models: Apple Watch Ultra 2 Apple Watch Series 10 Apple Watch Series 9 Here’s how Apple describes the feature: Hypertension notifications on Apple Watch use data from the optical heart sensor to analyze how a user’s blood vessels respond to the beats of the heart. The algorithm works passively in the background reviewing data over 30-day periods, and will notify users if it detects consistent signs of hypertension. These notifications provide users with valuable insights into their health as it relates to this widespread condition simply by wearing their Apple Watch, so they can begin making potentially lifesaving behavioral changes, or start treatment to reduce their risk of serious, long-term health events. The expansion of the feature beyond Apple’s new Watch hardware comes from the watchOS 26 RC notes, which include the following: Hypertension Notifications Hypertension notifications can alert you if consistent signs of chronic high blood pressure are observed over 30 day periods (Available on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later) Hypertension notifications feature is intended for users 22 years or older, without a previous diagnosis of hypertension, and who are not pregnant Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are currently available for pre-order, and ship to all users next Friday, September 19. Are you excited to get hypertension alerts on an older Apple Watch model? Does this change your upgrade decision? Let us know in the comments. Best iPhone accessories