Apple Watch Series 7 recording an ECG. Will the 8 Series offer new health monitoring?
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July 6 update below. This publication was first published on July 4, 2022.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is expected this September. But according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter, not one, but two new Apple Watch models could include a body temperature sensor.
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Gurman says this feature had been rumored for a long time, but its inclusion was far from certain. Gurman says it depends on whether “capacity exceeds meeting during internal testing.” Now, however, he thinks it’s likely, “Now I think the feature is a test.” This will be in the Apple Watch Series 8, but not in the low-priced second-generation Apple Watch SE, which is also believed to be in development. The second watch that will likely be capable of this is “a new rugged edition aimed at extreme sports athletes.”
July 6 update. Following the news of the body temperature sensor, comes a report of a surprisingly different look for this year’s Apple Watch. For the first time, according to Ross Young, an analyst and visualization expert, there will be three sizes of Apple Watch.
This is not to say that each model will come in three different sizes. Rather, a model could come with a whole new size, i.e. a 1.99-inch diagonal screen. So while the current models have box sizes of 41mm and 45mm, and these will continue, it looks like there will also be a 47mm model. This is about a 5% increase in screen size.
This report was backed by another analyst, Jeff Pu, who, as reported by MacRumors, said that in addition to the usual watch sizes, there will be a “high-end” model with a larger screen. .
It seems that the rumored Apple Watch robust will be the model with the new larger screen. A larger screen suggests a revised design, as does the sturdiness. When Apple launched the flat-edge iPhone 12, it said the new shape helped make the phone more robust (not to mention the ceramic shield on the front). So could the flat-edge Apple Watch design that seemed to leak last year be that of this harder watch?
If so, we could see, for the first time, Apple launching new watches with a different design language: the Apple Watch Series 8 that matches the style of the current 7 Series, along with the rugged new-looking watch.
There will also be, it is expected, a new Apple Watch SE that will likely look like the 8 Series and potentially the first generation SE will remain in the range to become the entry level price option lower.
As such, it could mean that 2022 will be the biggest step change for the Apple Watch in years. For now, let’s get back to the new health feature expected in the 8 Series and the rugged watch.
It means the Apple Watch can tell you if you have a fever. Well, after the last two years, any kind of early warning information about a possible illness would be fantastic, right?
But it’s not a thermometer. “The body temperature function won’t give you a specific reading, like with a forehead or wrist thermometer, but you should be able to tell if you think you have a fever. Then you might recommend talking to your doctor or using a dedicated thermometer.”
The current Apple Watch may feature heart rate variability (HRV), small variations from one heartbeat to the next, and Covid is believed to carry deep HRV. So it’s already possible that the Apple Watch will be able to detect Covid early and accurately, though that’s not something Apple has ever claimed for its laptop.
So something like a fever warning could be interesting and see that Apple brings the Watch even further to health surveillance.
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