Apple Watch gets larger display, ECG
The event starts with Cook describing updates to the Apple Watch. The watch, which did not exist as a category a few years ago, is now not just the top smart watch in the world but also the top-selling watch, period, Cook reminds the audience.
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams introduces the Apple Watch Series 4.
The new watch has a much larger display–30 percent bigger–and a 64-bit processor that makes it twice as fast as the current model, he says. There’s also a digital crown, which allows you to scroll through displays on the watch.
It comes with a number of built-in health features. The watch now tells you automatically if your heart rate is elevated.
“It’s a profound change. Apple Watch has become an intelligent guardian for your health,” Williams says.
The watch is also able to detect falls. If it detects that the wearer fell and then didn’t move for a minute, it will automatically call someone. It can tell you if your heart rate is too low, and can even do an electrocardiogram, or ECG. “This is the first ECG product offered over-the-counter, directly to consumers,” Williams says.
That’s a disputed assertion, however. The makers of KardiaBand–a wearable ECG band for the Apple Watch–contacted MoneyWatch after Apple’s event. Their product, which costs $199, received over-the-counter FDA clearance in 2014 and has been generally available since last November, the company said.
