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Apple may include a new EKG heart monitoring feature to their next Apple Watch models.
Smartwatch sales keep soaring and Apple is arguably the leader of the manufacturing pack. But in order to remain a leader in an over-saturated industry, you need to either improve on existing features or add new ones. The tech giant has reportedly chosen the latter option, as sources suggest future Apple Watch models may contain an advanced form of heart-monitoring tech.
The new feature will reportedly be able to use electric signals to detect heart defects as well as other potential factors of cardiovascular illness. According to media sources, Apple will base the new tech on EKGs, which are commonly used to monitor subtle electrical patterns in between heartbeats.
The tech will begin to record heart activity as soon as you press two buttons located on either side of the device. It would then send an electrical signal through the body to track heart activity and detect any irregularities.
According to several sources, the EKG functionality for the new Apple Watch is still being tested and the company may still choose to scrap it if it doesn’t perform great. This wouldn’t be the first time Apple abandoned an idea, as they stated that they had to drop several sensors for their first Apple Watch because they weren’t accurate enough.
Apple has expressed interest in medical technologies as of late. In November the company launched the Apple Heart Study app, which was developed in partnership with Stanford University’s School of Medicine. The study was one of countless others forays conducted since 2015 with the sole purpose of detecting cardiovascular diseases in its Apple Watch users.
While it is unclear if the new EKG feature will require FDA approval, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, has previously stated that he doesn’t want federal certification.
Last month, the FDA approved a built-in EKG reader for a watch strap, developed by medical tech company, AliveCor.
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