Home
Wearables
Wearables News
Apple Acquires Sonera in Deal That Could Bring Brain Sensing Technology to Future Wearables

Apple Acquires Sonera in Deal That Could Bring Brain-Sensing Technology to Future Wearables

The Sonera acquisition could potentially have implications for Apple's health and accessibility efforts, particularly for the Apple Watch.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by Rohan Pal | Updated: 9 September 2026 15:14 IST

Apple Acquires Sonera in Deal That Could Bring Brain-Sensing Technology to Future Wearables

Apple Watch currently offers several health and fitness tracking features

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Apple's acquisition of Sonera was disclosed in an EU filing
Sonera creates chip-based magnetic sensors
Wearables may track muscle and nerve data

Apple has acquired Sonera, a company developing chip-based magnetic sensing technology designed for wearable devices, according to a regulatory filing in the European Union (EU). While the Cupertino-based tech giant has not disclosed how it plans to use the technology following the acquisition, it could potentially have implications for Apple's health and accessibility efforts. Sonera had previously said that its approach could enable continuous monitoring of neuromuscular activity, sports performance tracking, and advanced prosthetics control.

Apple Acquires Sonera for Magnetic Sensing Technology

Apple usually does not publicly disclose its acquisitions. However, certain deals involving designated companies are subject to disclosure requirements under the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Apple Watch Discussion

Explore More...

The filing, first reported by MacRumors, states that Apple, through a subsidiary, will acquire certain assets from Sonera and hire some of the company's employees. It describes Sonera as a company developing a “chip-based magnetic sensor”. The filing does not disclose the financial terms of the transaction or explain how Apple plans to use Sonera's technology.

Apple 'Surprise and Shine' Event: Foldable iPhone and More Expected

Sonera has previously outlined its technology as a form of biomagnetic sensing designed to measure magnetic fields generated by electrical activity in the brain and body. In a 2023 press release, Sonera described its technology as a way to measure neural data without direct contact with the skin. The company said the technology could eventually make brain activity easier to measure alongside physiological signals such as heart rate and temperature.

Sonera also mentioned that its proprietary biomagnetic chip could enable a new category of consumer wearables based on muscle activity. Among the potential applications it identified were advanced prosthetics control, continuous monitoring of neuromuscular conditions, disease biomarker discovery, and sports performance tracking.

At present, it remains unclear how mature Sonera's technology is today, since most of the details date back to the announcement from 2023. The acquisition filing also does not provide information about its current capabilities or development status.

Apple iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, Watch Series 12 and More: What to Expect

However, this could potentially have notable implications for Apple. In recent years, the company's wearables have become a platform for health monitoring, with features like heart-rate tracking, ECG measurements, blood oxygen monitoring, and other physiological measurements.

Apple ‘Surprise and Shine’ Event Today: How to Watch iPhone Launch Event

In theory, Sonera's technology could potentially give future Apple devices another way to collect information related to muscle and neural activity.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Apple Watch, Apple

Shaurya Tomer

Email Shaurya Tomer

Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More