It’s a rumor, but it’s an interesting rumor.
Apple is thought to be building an EKG heart monitor into the next generation of its Apple Watch. The Apple Watch Series 3 already features an all-day heart rate monitor that tracks beats per minute while wearing, but third-party accessories are needed to add EKG functionality.
It’s thought that the version being tested will have the user squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers from the hand that’s not wearing the device according to one of the sources. The Apple Watch will then pass an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates.
The incorporation of an EKG reader into the device would help make it a must-own health device. The Apple Watch currently works with an FDA-approved EKG reader in the form of a smart band that is sold separately and requires an annual subscription to work, but building the function into the watch directly would make EKG readers accessible to more people.
Accurate EKG readings could help detect heart attacks and strokes which tend to follow irregular heart beats. At present, Apple and Stanford Medical are conducting an Apple Heart Study, although you’ll still need medical attention to a third-party smart band to perform and EKG reading.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.