The Apple Watch is considered the best-selling watch in the world. In addition to a redesign, the Apple Watch Series 4 boasted the ECG function.
What is an ECG?
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is the recording of the sum of the electrical activities of all heart muscle fibers using an electrocardiograph. Now the 4th generation of the Apple Watch can do just that.
In order to measure the current flow, the user must hold their finger to the digital crown for 30 seconds. A cardiogram is then created. In order to be able to offer such a feature, approval from the health authorities in the respective country is required. Apple has already received this in the USA. Now the hotly debated feature is to be activated by Apple for the first time. According to MacRumors, this information comes from an internal training document. The function will be activated with watchOS 5.1.2 in the USA. According to the description, the ECG feature will appear with a separate app.
If the Apple Watch detects a heart rhythm disorder, the user can see this in the app. In addition, all collected data is synchronized with the Health app.
German launch unknown
It remains uncertain when the function will be released in Germany. Jeff Williams emphasized that Apple is currently working on being able to offer the ECG function and the associated detection of cardiac arrhythmias in other countries as quickly as possible. How long it will take to obtain such permission remains unclear. It could also happen that, for example, the German health authority comes to a different conclusion than its US colleagues. It is also unclear whether such an application has already been submitted here.
Until approval is granted, Apple will not be allowed to advertise the function in this country. It remains to be seen when this will happen.
