As wearable device manufacturers want to compete in health functions, Apple is reportedly seeking to add blood pressure and thermometer functions to its watches. According to the Wall Street Journal, The built-in thermometer will be used for birth planning and may be available as early as 2022.
Apple is not the only company dedicated to these features.In Fitbit’s Sense smartwatch, the company has added a skin temperature sensor and a new ECG application, which is Approved by FDA Atrial fibrillation was tested last year.
Fitbit too Study the capabilities of its smartwatch Use pulse arrival time to measure blood pressure, and pulse arrival time to measure the time it takes for blood to reach the wrist after a person’s heartbeat. But wrist-based devices have still not been proven to be as accurate as upper arm blood pressure monitors, and have brought their own challenges, including getting people to keep their wrists at heart level.
Another company Samsung is using its Optical heart rate sensor for blood pressure monitoring, But it still must be calibrated using traditional blood pressure measurement. This feature has not yet been approved by the FDA.
According to the “Wall Street Journal” report, Apple plans to introduce more features in the future. In the short term, the company also hopes to update its arrhythmia detection and sleep tracking functions. In the long run, it hopes to detect sleep apnea and diabetes through smart watches.
As of press time, Apple could not be reached for comment.
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