The next Apple watch might serve as an EKG monitor

The present Apple Watch can already detect your heart rate, but it’s not so great at figuring out whether you’re likely to have a stroke with the data it collects. So, for its next wearable trick, the company is reportedly adding in an EKG heart monitor.

That’s according to Bloomberg’s sources, who noted that one version of a future Apple Watch requires you to squeeze the wearable’s frame with two fingers; the device will pass “an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates.”

That’s according to Bloomberg’s sources, who noted that one version of a future Apple Watch requires you to squeeze the wearable’s frame with two fingers; the device will pass “an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates.” One of the benefits of Apple adding this to their watch is that you'll be able to check yourself anytime you want to, instead of going to the hospital.

Apple has been keen on making its Watch more useful in tracking health issues for some time now: last month, it partnered with Stanford Medicine to conduct research into irregular heart rhythms using the device and a companion iOS app. If the light sensors on the underside of the watch detect changes in blood flow on your wrist, you’ll be prompted to consult with a doctor for free over a video call.

One major hurdle in bringing EKG functionality to the Watch is regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration. That generally requires plenty of testing and going through red tape, and the agency hasn’t made the process easy for tech firms yet.

If it succeeds, Apple could have a major advantage over rivals like Fitbit, Xiaomi, and Garmin. Based on figures from Q3 2017, it ranks as the third largest seller of fitness gear. At this point in the game, it seems like technological breakthroughs are the only way Apple will be able to get ahead of its competition.

Image credit : pbs.org