Apple Watches may soon detect blood oxygen levels

Apple is working on a feature that will allow the Apple Watch to detect blood oxygen levels for the first time, according to snippets of iOS 14 code obtained by 9to5Mac.

Currently, Apple Watches Series 1 and later can notify wearers when they detect irregular heart rhythms that suggest they might be at risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib). They can also send alerts when a user’s heart rate remains above or below a BPM (beats per minute) of their choosing while they’re inactive. With the capacity to monitor blood oxygen levels, Apple Watches could also alert wearers who are at risk of respiratory or cardiac arrest.

Blood oxygen levels can also be useful to athletes, as they can indicate how well their bodies adjust to varying activity levels. It’s unclear whether this feature will be a unique component of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 6 or part of watchOS 7, which would allow it to roll out to older Apple Watches as well.

Now if only Apple would produce an Android app to work with their watch, I may well buy one.

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