Apple Watch straps up health features

The Future. According to internal company documents, Apple is looking to increase the number of health-related features available on the Apple Watch, including blood-pressure monitoring and a thermometer. Apple appears to be positioning the device as the go-to health wearable on the market, which may lay the foundation for constant health monitoring — a move that could either save lives or raise insurance premiums.

Medical metrics
When it comes to health monitoring, Apple says it’s all in the wrist.

• Apple is planning to add a blood-pressure monitor (108 million Americans suffer from hypertension) and a wrist thermometer (which can be used for basal body temperature fertility planning) in future Apple Watches.
• The features won’t be included in this month’s Apple Watch 7, but are expected to roll out next year.
• Additionally, the company wants to program features that can detect sleep apnea, diabetes, and low oxygen levels.

According to Strategy Analytics, the Apple Watch generated $13 billion in sales — 65% of the global smartwatch market.

Dr. Data
Apple CEO Tim Cook says that the company’s health functions will be it’s “greatest contribution to mankind.” The only problem is that the wrist really isn’t the best place to take most of these measurements — a fact that Apple is trying to R&D its way around. And Apple is still trying to gain FDA approval for the health features it already has on the Watch, including its heartbeat monitor.

Back in June, Apple had been reportedly working on a next-gen primary care service. The program, called Project Casper, would supposedly sync Apple Watch data to a doctor’s iPad and include real-time messaging. It’s like having your doctor always on-call. Unfortunately, that project has stalled.