Apple Watch ECG App Receives Approval in China, Already Working in watchOS 8 Beta 2

[MacRumors]

The Apple Watch ECG (electrocardiogram) functionality has received regulatory approval in China, giving Apple the all-clear to launch the feature for Apple Watch users in the country.

According to a new document posted today by China's National Medical Products Administration, Apple has received approval for an ECG. The filing doesn't offer any details about when the feature may launch to Chinese Apple Watch users; however, posts on Chinese social network Weibo, spotted by ITHome, suggest that the feature is already live on the latest watchOS 8 betas.

With the Apple Watch Series 4, Series 5, and Series 6, users can take an ECG by placing their finger on the Digital Crown while they wear their watch. The Apple Watch, using an array of onboard sensors, reads the electrical pulses from a wearer's heart. The reading, which can be viewed as a PDF through the Health app on the paired iPhone, can detect if a user's heart is out of rhythm and possibly experiencing atrial fibrillation.

ECG on the Apple Watch most recently launched in Australia and Vietnam as part of the watchOS 7.4 update.



Article Link: Apple Watch ECG App Receives Approval in China, Already Working in watchOS 8 Beta 2

 

[Shirasaki]

Uh…
Ok…
Good for them I suppose.

 

[ghost187]

This long process of getting approval all over the world is probably the reason we are not getting new health sensors on a yearly basis. Also, when are we going to get a basic thermometer on our watch? Sounds basic enough to me.

 

[John6me]

Still waiting for this feature in Mexico

 

[Techwatcher]

Was surprised China approved this at first.

Then I realized I'm not surprised since it means this gives their government full access to the citizens' health information.

 

[jz0309]

almost 3 years later ... and there are till countries missing ... maybe the WHO could do something useful in this space

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

No idea what took so long.

 

[oliversl]

We need this support in LatinAmerica

 

[apparatchik]

Still waiting for this feature in Mexico

This is the main reason why I went with an SE instead of a Series 6, the main differences were the ECG which is not available in Mexico anyway, the oximeter which was considered not very accurate and a novelty and the altimeter which I'd never use. I didn't care about the always on display as I would turn it off anyways...

I hope when it's time to upgrade in two years time we finally get ECG here.

 

[Shirasaki]

Was surprised China approved this at first.

Then I realized I'm not surprised since it means this gives their government full access to the citizens' health information.

As if their government don’t already know inside out of their citizens. They just couldn’t find a cost effective way to literally mind control them.

 

[MauiPa]

This is the main reason why I went with an SE instead of a Series 6, the main differences were the ECG which is not available in Mexico anyway, the oximeter which was considered not very accurate and a novelty and the altimeter which I'd never use. I didn't care about the always on display as I would turn it off anyways...

I hope when it's time to upgrade in two years time we finally get ECG here.

vast majority of sources say the oximeter is accurate (for the technology type, not medical diagnostic grade of course).

I just got a series 6, no more handheld ECG!. Had my first event today, detected afib, best of all you can record your symptoms at the time of event.

I would suggest you contact your regulatory bodies if you want approval for devices, you know, regulation. HAHA, like they will listen or care

 

[MauiPa]

No idea what took so long.

one word: REGULATION

 

[827538]

This is the main reason why I went with an SE instead of a Series 6, the main differences were the ECG which is not available in Mexico anyway, the oximeter which was considered not very accurate and a novelty and the altimeter which I'd never use. I didn't care about the always on display as I would turn it off anyways...

I hope when it's time to upgrade in two years time we finally get ECG here.

I agree the oximeter is not really useful as its accuracy is all over the place. The ECG is quite a cool feature and one reason I bought my father an Apple Watch due to his heart valve condition and I do a fair bit of hiking where the altimeter is quite a cool feature. The SE is a great watch though, you're not really missing anything.

 

[alexandr]

will you be able to share you results via wechat?

 

[827538]

vast majority of sources say the oximeter is accurate (for the technology type, not medical diagnostic grade of course).

I just got a series 6, no more handheld ECG!. Had my first event today, detected afib, best of all you can record your symptoms at the time of event.

I would suggest you contact your regulatory bodies if you want approval for devices, you know, regulation. HAHA, like they will listen or care

That's pretty cool the ECG can help you like that.

 

[IIGS User]

That's great.

So now they'll have a better idea of who's organs are most worthy of harvesting.

 

[NMBob]

Does static whack any of these watch functions and break the watch? I would think that would be a problem.

 

[MauiPa]

I agree the oximeter is not really useful as its accuracy is all over the place. The ECG is quite a cool feature and one reason I bought my father an Apple Watch due to his heart valve condition and I do a fair bit of hiking where the altimeter is quite a cool feature. The SE is a great watch though, you're not really missing anything.

"all over the place" as in between 96 and 99%? That sounds pretty reasonable to me.

 

[EmotionalSnow]

almost 3 years later ... and there are till countries missing ... maybe the WHO could do something useful in this space

Agreed. It would be nice if all countries could work closer together. Humanity will be stronger if we work together.

Having international law, in the legislative areas where it makes sense, instead of each country going a different route would also make international trade much easier for companies - little and big.

 

[827538]

"all over the place" as in between 96 and 99%? That sounds pretty reasonable to me.

I've compared it to an oximeter and had it out by 10%. That's an extremely large variance when it comes to O2 saturation.

 

[magicschoolbus]

Nice now the CCP can really get their organ harvesting data!

 

[nexusrule]

Was surprised China approved this at first.

Then I realized I'm not surprised since it means this gives their government full access to the citizens' health information.

So, even if they actually want to steal the ECG data, how‘s having access to a semi-reliable ECG equates with “full access to the citizen’s health information“?

 

[Bandaman]

So, even if they actually want to steal the ECG data, how‘s having access to a semi-reliable ECG equates with “full access to the citizen’s health information“?

They have no restrictions to citizen's information ... any information. They were "joking" because there are zero privacy laws in China. Privacy doesn't exist there in any capacity. Apple caved into their CCP overlords and moved all of their iCloud servers related to China in China itself so the CCP could have access to any and all phone information in China. They want everything ... and they get it. The world needs to stop doing business with China.

 

[chucker23n1]

Was surprised China approved this at first.

Then I realized I'm not surprised since it means this gives their government full access to the citizens' health information.

Only if you opt in to moving Health data to iCloud. By default, there's no data transmission at all.

 

[chucker23n1]

They have no restrictions to citizen's information ... any information.

That's quite a stretch. The Watch is nice, but it doesn't really collect that much health info.