In the past few years, smartwatches have doubled as reliable fitness trackers with capabilities like heartbeat monitor, sleep tracking and step counter. Lately, there’s one feature that’s gaged the interest of major smartwatch makers across the world. Yes, the ability to measure blood oxygen levels is now deemed as a necessary addition to any appealing smartwatch or fitness tracker portfolio.
SpO2 monitor makes even more sense for health-conscious people who want to track the levels of oxygen in their bloodstream. Especially the ones who have an underlying history of low blood oxygen levels that can lead to multiple complications like cardiac arrest, disrupted brain functionality or shortness of breath.
Apple Watch 6 rumored to get SpO2 monitor
The next iteration of the Apple Watch and future watches running watchOS 7 may come with SpO2 monitor and better ECG monitor according to the iOS 14 code snippet.
The new feature will send health notification to the user whenever blood oxygen levels are low. Generally, the levels should be anywhere between 95-100% in healthy individuals and if the level drop below 80% it’s time to seek immediate medical attention.
If the SpO2 monitor lands on the Apple Watch Series 6 slated to be unveiled in early September, it will be a welcome addition to the smartwatch. Anyways, blood oxygen level monitor is a better indicator of overall health and that’s why it is something fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious buyers look for when initiating a buying decision.
Wait and ‘watch’
According to reports, the heartbeat sensor on Apple Watch already has the capability to monitor blood oxygen levels but due to consistency issues it never made it through to the final product.
Apple will also look to overcome the shortcomings of the current electrocardiogram function in Apple Watch Series 4 and 5. The feature has certain glitches when the heart rate reading is anywhere between 100 -120 beats per minute.
It remains to be seen if the SpO2 feature will include any new hardware or will there be a software update to watchOS 7 which enables the function in Apple Watch Series 6.