Smartwatches are finally becoming more advanced and discovering their real purpose after a long wait. While the core hardware specifications remain mostly the same, these wearables have begun to include a growing number of health-related sensors. Some smartwatches contain capabilities like SpO2 and ECG measuring blood oxygen levels and heart rhythm, respectively, in addition to the standard activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. One biometric, though, has escaped wristwatch makers thus far, and Huawei could be the first to include an accurate blood pressure monitor in its forthcoming wearable.
To be clear, if the Huawei Watch D does come out with a blood pressure measurement capability, it won’t be the first. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3 already tout this capability, but it does so in a convoluted and oblique manner. In a word, it estimates your blood pressure based on other symptoms, which is then compared to a reference reading taken with a standard BP monitor.
The strict criterion for reliably monitoring blood pressure has puzzled wristwatch producers and even medical equipment manufacturers. This is accomplished by inflating a cuff around your arm or wrist and momentarily halting blood flow. Of course, such a cuff is unattractive and unpleasant on smartwatches, making accurate blood pressure readings nearly impossible.
That is why the Huawei Watch D rumors are intriguing since they suggest that Huawei has pulled a rabbit out of its hat. This feature is highlighted in hands-on photographs of this supposed smartwatch on Weibo. It’s even supposed to be pretty precise.
The smartwatch’s design may hold the key to this trick, though we can’t be sure because we can’t see the strap. The screen is more rectangular than typical smartwatches, and the strap is also unusual. Huawei could have a great wristwatch on its hands if it can do what even Samsung and Apple haven’t been able to do so far.
Unfortunately, many buyers outside of China, particularly in the United States, may not care. Regulatory authorization for such features will be required in each market where the feature will be implemented. Of course, any attempt by Huawei to sell its products in the United States will be blocked, which will tragically be a deal-breaker if it does manage to develop the world’s first smartwatch BP monitor.
Source: weibo
