The Apple Watch may soon be able to measure blood oxygen levels. Based on snippets of code inside iOS 14 acquired exclusively by 9to5Mac, Apple is developing two new health features for the next version of its smartwatch, likely to be called Apple Watch 6. At the moment it’s unclear whether these will be limited to the next-generation Apple Watch or also roll out to existing models through a software update.
Apple is said to be designing a new health notification that will go out whenever the watch detects the user’s blood oxygen levels have fallen below an alarming threshold. This will function similarly to the Apple Watch’s existing irregular heart rate alerts and nudge the user to consult a doctor instead of revealing anything conclusive.
A number of critical health conditions are associated with this health metric. When your blood oxygen saturation slips past the normal range, it can cause respiratory troubles and eventually lead to a cardiac arrest. As Apple continues to position the Apple Watch as more of an accessible health tool rather than a smartphone companion, the addition of blood oxygen detection will prove handy and compliment the rest of the features.
The ability to detect blood oxygen saturation is growing increasingly common among smartwatches. Fitbit brought it in January earlier this year to a handful of its products. French wearable maker, Withings’ latest, the ScanWatch can also record your blood oxygen levels.
All of these existing implementations rely on a set of special red and infrared sensors to measure blood oxygen levels. Therefore, it’s possible Apple’s new feature will be exclusive to the Watch Series 6. Although as per 9to5Mac, there is a chance it may come newer Apple Watch models with watchOS 7.
In addition to that, the Apple Watch’s electrocardiogram function may be all set for an upgrade. The Cupertino, California-based company is reportedly testing a better ECG app for the Watch Series 4 and Series 5 that will be capable of delivering more accurate results for heart rates between 100 and 120 beats per minute instead of producing inconclusive readings.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a sleep-tracking feature for the Apple Watch. The new feature, which was first detailed last year, will keep tabs on the user’s quality of sleep through a range of sensors and inputs such as their movement at night, heart rate, noises, and more.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.