Apple Watch OS 4 is set to be released on 14 September, and it brings with it a host of new health features. Among this is a number of new uses for the heart rate monitor, which will now passively monitor heart beat rhythms; alerting the wearer if anything is out of the ordinary.
The idea is that some users suffer from elevated heart rates while not exercising. In the event that this happens, the watch will vibrate to alert the wearer that something is different. Of course, the wearer will probably be able to figure out why this is happening.
More importantly, the watch will also monitor the wearer for irregular heart beat. Heart arrhythmia is a rather dangerous condition, and being able to detect it early will increase the quality of life of people who may be suffering from it.
This last feature comes from a study that Apple conducted in partnership with Stanford University. The results of that study are also set to be published later this year.
Other features coming include resting heart rate monitoring; which combines the heart rate monitor with the accelerometer to determine if the wearer is active or not. There’s also a monitor for the wearer recovery heart rate, which tracks how quickly the heart beat returns to the resting rate.
Of course, all these features are being included on the new Apple Watch Series 3. Which is set to be released later this month.
