Apple’s next Apple Watch model may reportedly have a blood oxygen detection feature, based on code snippets of the next major iOS update.
The feature is basically to monitor if one’s blood oxygen levels are normal, which would be at 95% to 100% saturation. If it’s any less than that, it could pinpoint health heart issues or possibly even cardiac arrest.
It’s unknown if the feature to check blood oxygen levels are something that only the next model’s hardware will be able to provide, or if it could be an added feature in the next watchOS update to most models.
Along with this technology, the next model will reportedly have an improved ECG (electrocardiogram), too. This makes sense as the ECG on both Series 4 and 5 models could provide inconclusive data if heart rates are too high. The upgrade will most probably address and rectify this issue.
They’re both welcome features as the Apple Watch has been credited to have saved lives. Adding more health features like these could definitely save and/ or prevent further complications in one’s lifestyle.
As great as all that sounds, though, what about Malaysia? While most of the health features are available on Apple Watches sold locally, one feature that is evidently missing is the irregular rhythm notification (for irregular heartbeats) and ECG. So, even if Apple does provide the blood oxygen level check feature, us Malaysians could end up missing out on it completely.
So what’s the hold-up? Well, Apple has to gain approval from local authorities before enabling those features on their watches. They say that, but it’s been about 1 year and 6 months since Series 4 (which first had ECG) was released in Malaysia.
It’s even worse for the irregular rhythm feature, as that was made available all the way back since Apple Watch Series 1 (released in late 2016)! Even after Series 5 was released, both the irregular rhythm notification and ECG feature remain absent.
As great as these new health features may be, it’d be for nothing if Apple still can’t get approval from our local authorities, so either side has got to buck it up to make that feature available (hopefully) before the next model arrives in Malaysia, though that may just be wishful thinking.
