Latest Apple Watch Features New Health, Fitness Tracking

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple's redesigned and re-engineered Series 4 watch can help users stay connected, be more active and manage their health in new ways.

While retaining the original iconic design, the fourth-generation Apple Watch has been refined, combining new hardware and software enhancements.

The new health features include a new accelerometer and gyroscope, which are able to detect hard falls, and an electrical heart-rate sensor that can take an electrocardiogram (ECG) using the new ECG app.

"We're thrilled Apple Watch has become an essential part of people's lives," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer.

"The completely redesigned Apple Watch Series 4 continues to be an indispensable communication and fitness companion, and now with the addition of groundbreaking features, like fall detection and the first-ever ECG app offered directly to consumers, it also becomes an intelligent guardian for your health."

Health

Apple Watch Series 4 enables customers to take an ECG reading right from the wrist using the new ECG app, which takes advantage of the electrodes built into the Digital Crown and new electrical heart-rate sensor in the back crystal.

With the app, users touch the Digital Crown and after 30 seconds, receive a heart-rhythm classification. It can classify if the heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether there are signs of atrial fibrillation, or, AFib, a heart condition that could lead to major health complications. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored in the Health app in a PDF that can be shared with physicians.

With watchOS 5, Apple Watch intermittently analyzes heart rhythms in the background and sends a notification if an irregular heart rhythm suggestive of AFib is detected. It also can alert the user if the heart rate exceeds or falls below a specified threshold.

Fall detection utilizes a next-generation accelerometer and gyroscope. By analyzing wrist trajectory and impact acceleration, Apple Watch sends the user an alert after a fall, which can be dismissed or used to initiate a call to emergency services.

If Apple Watch senses immobility for 60 seconds after the notification, it will automatically call emergency services and send a message along with location to emergency contacts.

Fitness

With watchOS 5, Apple Watch becomes an improved fitness and workout companion.

Activity competitions allow users to challenge other Apple Watch wearers, automatic workout-detection provides an alert to start a workout while giving retroactive credit, and Yoga and Hiking are new dedicated workout types that accurately track active calories burned and exercise minutes earned.

Running enthusiasts can take advantage of extended battery life — increased to six hours — for outdoor workouts and use high-performance features, including cadence for indoor and outdoor runs, pace alerts for outdoor runs and rolling mile pace, which shows pace for the immediately preceding mile.

Staying Connected

Customers can reach their friends with a tap of the wrist with Walkie-Talkie, a watch-to-watch connection that is a new way to communicate over Wi-Fi or cellular.

WatchOS 5 also lets users listen to their favorite podcasts on the go with Apple Podcasts on Apple Watch, and stream any podcast in the catalog by using Siri.

With Apple Watch Series 4, enriched complications offer a more detailed view of helpful third-party apps like Dexcom, which allows for continuous glucose monitoring, or Streaks, which shows daily progress on tasks.

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