Apple Watch saves lives in the new “Dear Apple” ad

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away in Apple’s newly launched ad in its series of “Dear Apple” ad campaign. In the ad, Apple not only brands its smart watches as health-tech that helps you monitor your fitness goals but also as a paramedic on your wrist. 

The three-minute ad is a gratitude letter addressed to Apple and sometimes to “Dear Mr Cook” by real users from around the world sharing emotional, first-person accounts of how the Apple Watch saved their lives.

While there are references to the everyday uses of the Apple Watch, such as tracking weight loss journeys or marathon training, the ad primarily focuses on highlighting how the smartwatch has helped detect life-threatening conditions and coordinate emergency rescues in the US, Japan, and Canada. 

The testimonials in the ad claim that the Apple Watch has saved lives that would have otherwise been lost to a heart attack, a stroke, a collapsed lung or a snowstorm. 

According to the Apple website and newsroom, the latest Apple Watch models, including Series 11, Ultra 3, and SE 3, offer the following potentially life-saving features: 

• Hypertension notifications
• ECG, irregular heart rhythm, and high/low heart rate notifications
• Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring
• Sleep score based on sleep quality, duration, and consistency
• Fall detection and crash detection by sensing sudden falls or severe impacts using motion sensors, and alerting emergency services if the user is unresponsive
• Emergency SOS button

Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 were launched at Apple’s “Awe Dropping” launch event on September 9, 2025. 

The showcase also saw the launch of AirPods Pro 3 and the new iPhone 17 series, including iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Pro Max and the ultra-thin iPhone Air, all powered by the A19 Pro chip and running iOS 19, making the new launches faster, more powerful, and more efficient with advanced AI capabilities, longer battery life, improved cameras, and a smoother user experience.

Apple product launch events are key media showcases dating back to the 1980s, where the CEO unveils Apple’s latest innovations across hardware, software, and services. Since 2010, special September “fall” events have been popularised to announce flagship products in the Apple ecosystem. The showcases have thematic titles like “Gather Round” (September 2018), “Wonderlust” (September 2023), and “It’s Glowtime” (September 2024).

While the showcase created much anticipation in the media and consumers alike, critics argued that only modest hardware changes were made to the tech without major AI breakthroughs or updates on Apple TV 4K or AirPods Max 2.