The Apple Watch Series 4 was a massive step forward in terms of design and build, while also introducing potentially life-saving heart health tools. However, while users in the UK have been enjoying that larger screen, redesigned Digital Crown, Bluetooth 5 and an updated gyroscope, two key healthcare features have been absent until now.
That all changes today, with news the ECG (electrocardiogram) feature exclusive to the Apple Watch Series 4 is arriving with the rollout of watchOS 5.2.1. The UK launch comes around six months after the Apple Watch Series 4 went on sale and dispels fears it would take years to earn approval from medical device regulators in Europe.
Now the feature has earned the all-important CE mark and has been cleared for use in the European Economic Area (via Wareable).
The ECG tool is designed to identify irregular heart rates, which can be associated with the life-threatening condition atrial fibrillation.
Related: Best smartwatch
The Apple Watch Series 4 features electrodes built into the new Digital Crown. Owners of the device can get a reading by holding a finger down on the Digital Crown for 30 seconds. The results will be delivered to the display and stored in the Apple Health app on a companion iPhone.
As well as the headline ECG feature, Apple is also using watchOS 5.1.2 to bring another irregular heartbeat-sensing tool to other devices in the range. This uses the built-in heartrate sensor on the rear of the device, in order to report on irregularities if spotted during general tracking.
As well as the UK, both features are launching today in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Will the launch of this feature encourage you to buy an Apple Watch Series 4? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.