Apple Watch’s ECG became finally available in Europe
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The Apple Watch is the world’s most popular line of smartwatches right now, holding about 50% of the global market. When Apple announced the Apple Watch Series 4 last year, there was one feature that stood above all. It wasn’t the larger display or the Digital Crown with tactile feedback.
Instead, it was the addition of ECG (electrocardiogram) capabilities without any additional hardware needed (besides the Apple Watch itself, of course). The feature allows the user to quickly and easily take an ECG and then, if need be, send the results to their doctor. Even without having the results looked at by a specialist, the device’s own algorithms would alert the user if they notice something out of the ordinary. Since then, reports are showing up regularly about how the Apple Watch helped one person or another notice an issue with their heart that was later confirmed by a cardiologist. This allowed proper measures to be taken a lot sooner than if the patient had waited until the problems became obvious.
Unfortunately, despite the Apple Watch being loved all around the world, the ECG functionality was limited only to the United States. Not anymore!
Select European countries and Hong Kong are getting ECG
Apple’s watchOS 5.2 is now available for all Apple Watch models and adds a couple of features for users in 19 European countries and Hong Kong. The more important one is ECG, which comes only to the Apple Watch Series 4. Here’s the full list of European countries that are getting the new feature:
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK.
“Apple’s watchOS 5.2 is now available for all Apple Watch models and adds a couple of features for users in 19 European countries and Hong Kong.”
The reason for that is unknown. It could be due to additional regulatory approval needed or, alternatively, those are just markets Apple isn’t as interested in right now.
A more notable country that’s also missing from the expansion list, although not in Europe, is Canada. It was expected to be one of the first countries besides the US to get the ECG app, but it appears that Canadians will have to wait at least until the second wave of expansion.
ECG on a smartwatch, how does that work?
Sinus rhythm notification on the left (in Spanish) and an irregular heart rhythm warning on the right (in Italian
To start using the new features, users have to enable them from the Health app on their iPhones. Obviously, the Apple Watch must be updated to watchOS 5.2, but to do that the iPhone itself must be updated to iOS 12.2.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which specific Apple Watch models can use the new ECG feature now that it's available in Europe?
Which specific Apple Watch models can use the new ECG feature now that it's available in Europe?
The ECG feature is only available for the Apple Watch Series 4. Older models, such as the Series 1, will not receive this functionality, though they do get the Irregular Rhythm Notification feature.
Q.Why are some countries within the European Economic Area not yet receiving the ECG and Irregular Rhythm Notification features?
Why are some countries within the European Economic Area not yet receiving the ECG and Irregular Rhythm Notification features?
The article states the reason is unknown. It could be due to additional regulatory approval being needed in those specific countries, or perhaps Apple is less interested in those markets currently for this expansion.
Q.Does the ECG feature provide results as accurate as professional medical equipment?
Does the ECG feature provide results as accurate as professional medical equipment?
No, the article states the results will not be as accurate as those taken by professional medical equipment. However, medical trials have shown the wearable device classifies different heart rhythms with very high accuracy.
Q.What is the Irregular Rhythm Notification feature, and which Apple Watch models will it be available on?
What is the Irregular Rhythm Notification feature, and which Apple Watch models will it be available on?
This feature checks the user’s heart rhythm regularly using optical sensors and sends a notification if five irregular rhythms are detected over at least 65 minutes. It is coming to Apple Watch Series 1 and newer models.
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