Apple is working on an Apple Watch with an EKG heart monitor, to help detect arrhythmia and stroke risks, reports Bloomberg.
The tech giant is reportedly testing a watch that requires users to squeeze its frame with two fingers from the hand that’s not wearing the device. It then passes an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates. Such conditions can increase the risk of strokes and heart failure and develop in about one-quarter of people over 40, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The current Apple Watch has a more basic heart rate monitor, but the company is increasingly trying to use advanced sensors to predict future afflictions, rather than simply collect historical data about the body, according to Bloomberg. An EKG would make it easier to establish the health of a user’s heart, and potentially spot some cardiac problems early.
The development process is ongoing and Apple may still decide not to include the technology in future products, the article says, quoting unnamed sources. Apple spokeswoman Amy Bessette declined to comment to Bloomberg.
Chances the rumor is true, according to the Sellers Research Group (that’s me): 90%. Since the Apple Watch already has a basic heart monitor, and since Apple is looking into blood pressure measuring features for the smartwatch, it’s a logical step.
