This Apple’s plan to add a blood pressure monitor to its digital watch hit some hurdles and technology shouldn’t be ready before 2024at best, according to people with knowledge on the subject.
The company has teams working on an updated sensor and software for the Apple Watch that will determine if a user has high blood pressure, but those who did not want to be identified said accuracy during testing was difficult.
Apple has been planning this feature for at least four years, but they said it’s two years away from its launch and could be in 2025.
Blood pressure features may be a major selling point for digital watches in the years to come, but the technology hasn’t come easy. While Apple competitors like Samsung release watches with this feature, they require monthly calibration with a traditional monitor. Last year, Alphabet’s Fitbit published a study to test the wrist blood pressure measurement.
The iPhone manufacturer is testing blood pressure technology on employees. Their approach will not tell users the numbers used to measure blood pressure, but will warn users that they may have hypertension and need to see a doctor or use a standard blood pressure controller.
The company also has teams working to add non-invasive blood glucose monitoring to the smartwatch, which could be an advantage for diabetics. This feature is still a few years away and has yet to receive a release target. Meanwhile, the company is discussing adding improved support for third-party glucose meters to the iPhone’s watch and Health app.
While Apple’s blood pressure and glucose specifications are still a bit off, the company is working on other updates that will be released sooner. This includes new women’s health, sleep, fitness and medication management features.
A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment.
The Apple Watch has become a vital part of Apple’s device lineup since its launch in 2015. It forms part of the company’s wearables, home and accessories division. Sales in the segment increased 25% last year to $38.4 billion – more revenue than Mac or iPad computers generate.
The company plans to add a body temperature sensor to the watch this year. The feature, which Bloomberg first reported last year, was originally meant to be designed to aid fertility planning.
Future versions of the watch may expand the feature to determine if the user has a higher-than-normal body temperature, but it is unlikely to display a measurement – such as blood pressure.
Source: Exame
