Apple Watch May Come Sans Health Monitoring Features | TechTree.com

Apple Watch May Come Sans Health Monitoring Features

The FDA seems to have forced Apple to pull out a number of components form its smartwatch.

 

Apple’s troubles with the Apple Watch never seem to end. The WSJ reports that the Cupertino giant seems to have come across a number of hurdles, while developing the smartwatch and that it has actually cut down on a lot of sensors for a number of reasons.

One of those reasons apparently has to do with the fact that sensor on the Apple Watch has trouble detecting blood glucose and even stress levels. This as Apple puts it is due to problems like hairy arms, dry skin or sweaty skin and others related to the wristband.

While all of this may sound legitimate, other reports point elsewhere. These are associated with Apple’s actual problems with health trackers and giving recommendations to improve health via its apps. But in the end it all boils down to reliable data.

Problem is that in order as to qualify for FDA approval the Apple Watch (or any smartwatch for that matter) needs to be accurate. While health and fitness trackers today do give users a somewhat accurate result, medical equipment designed for the purpose delivers a level of accuracy that can save a life.

Healthcare providers clearly, will not give a nod to a glucose reading that comes from the surface of a user’s skin. Medical equipment (though rudimentary at times) will go all in to deliver accurate results to a standard they themselves have developed.

With this conclusion Apple may have to eat its own words about the Apple Watch's features announced at the WWDC last year. The smartwatch may go on to deliver just notifications (from apps) and not suggestions as to how one can improve their health. Tie ups with major hospitals and medical institutions also seems like a far shot under such circumstances.

Whether this leads to the HealthKit app getting taken down altogether is a call that Apple will take shortly after the launch of its Apple Watch in April.

Source 1, Source 2, Source 3


TAGS: smartwatch, wearable, Apple Watch, Apple

 
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