Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR Google has been spotted working on a blood pressure monitoring feature for the Pixel Watch.
The feature appears to be similar to Apple’s approach, passively analyzing data to alert users of potential hypertension risk.
The company is gearing up to launch a Fitbit hypertension study to advance research on the upcoming feature.
Smartwatch makers have been attempting to integrate blood pressure monitoring technology into their watches for some time now. Several watches come with this feature, each employing a different approach to blood pressure monitoring, with their own pros and cons. Now, Google also wants to jump onto the bandwagon, as it could bring blood pressure notifications to the Pixel Watch.
On the Galaxy Watch 4 and newer, Samsung added the ability to directly measure blood pressure, provided you calibrate the watch with a conventional cuff-type blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer) every month.
HUAWEI’s Watch D2 features cuff-style measurements directly on the watch through inflatable straps, eliminating the need for a cuff-type blood pressure monitor.
Apple took a different approach — instead of letting users directly measure their blood pressure through the Apple Watch Series 9 and newer, it only displays an alert, informing the user of a possible hypertension risk, so that they can then seek appropriate medical advice.
Apple
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