Expanded watchOS 4 Heart Rate Monitoring Features Not Available on Original Apple Watch

[MacRumors]

watchOS 4 introduces an expanded Heart Rate app that's able to track your current heart rate, your resting heart rate, average heart rate while walking, and your recovery rate after exercising, providing more information about your overall health. It's also able to send alerts if it detects a heart rate above 120 when you're not exercising.

These features are available on the new Apple Watch Series 3 models and the Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1 models that were introduced in 2016, but some of the features are not available original Apple Watch models sold in 2015.

As Twitter users discovered after downloading watchOS 4 earlier this week, the original Apple Watch is only able to display current heart rate with a much simpler interface for the heart rate app, with no sign of resting heart rate or average walking heart rate. The app does offer the heart rate graph with a tap on the display, though.

Original Apple Watch image via @jgirl125a​

It's not entirely clear why the original Apple Watch doesn't offer the full range of heart rate features, but it may be due to hardware limitations. The first Apple Watch offers an original S1 processor, which has since been significantly upgraded in Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 updates, and its battery life is not as robust.

Apple discontinued the original Apple Watch in 2016 when the Series 2 was introduced, replacing it with the Series 1 Apple Watch. The Series 1 model is similar to the original Apple Watch, but features an upgraded S1P processor. The Series 2 Apple Watch uses an S2 processor, and the Series 3 Apple Watch uses an S3 processor.

Article Link: Expanded watchOS 4 Heart Rate Monitoring Features Not Available on Original Apple Watch

 

[antglin]

Ugh Apple, seriously? I’m an owner of the stainless steel 1st gen Apple Watch and I’m not looking for an upgrade yet since it’s in a pretty good condition. Why should my watch not get the watchOS 4 features if my watch’s hardware is practically identical to Apple Watch Series 1 except for the faster processor. Ridiculous!

I would rather have Apple remove other useless features like ToyStory Watch faces and let me use a feature that I was actually looking forward to.

 

[Pagemakers]

Same here. Agreed.

 

[azentropy]

Figures... Typical

 

[powerbook911]

Yeah I bought what was it $1149 Stainless Black original watch. It is a bummer, but it works ok otherwise.

I don't think it's the end of the world, but first gen apple devices sure do get cut off sooner.

 

[Futurix]

Most likely less capable heart rate sensor is the culprit.

 

[roland.g]

It still tells time, sends me texts, alerts and can answer phone calls, gives me tons of notifications, can arm or disarm my home alarm, and provide me all sorts of distance information and scoring on the golf course.

As well as actively monitor statistics during workouts.

 

[mostman]

Yeah, so click that UI element right there and you’ll get the expanded graph. I have an OG Watch and it shows the graph. The only thing missing is the resting heart rate.

 

[Cloudkicker]

Does Rudolph's nose (the crown) stop glowing when your heart does?

 

[StevenU]

Yeah, so click that UI element right there and you’ll get the expanded graph. I have an OG Watch and it shows the graph. The only thing missing is the resting heart rate.

Same thing here. I also have the original Apple Watch and it seems to show the graph. See below....

 

[pat500000]

Ugh Apple, seriously? I’m an owner of the stainless steel 1st gen Apple Watch and I’m not looking for an upgrade yet since it’s in a pretty good condition. Why should my watch not get the watchOS 4 features if my watch’s hardware is practically identical to Apple Watch Series 1 except for the faster processor. Ridiculous!

I would rather have Apple remove other useless features like ToyStory Watch faces and let me use a feature that I was actually looking forward to.

To get you to buy, buy, buy, buy, buy....

 

[jclo]

Same thing here. I also have the original Apple Watch and it seems to show the graph. See below....

Yep. Made it clearer that resting heart rate and walking average are the missing features, not the heart rate graph. I'm also not sure if it has the same recovery info after exercising.

 

[blackcrayon]

It’s not where I’m getting at. It’s a very capable device which is why it annoys me that it gets undercut. There is no reason for them to do that except for forcing the customer to upgrade.

Wouldn't leaving it off of watchOS 4 entirely be an even better way to "force the customer to upgrade"?

 

[Kettil]

I agree this seems disappointing, but correct me if I'm wrong (I don't have a watch yet); most of these features can be found in third party HRV apps and the like?

 

[macTW]

“Oh no! Old hardware has limitations with new features!”

“Let’s blame Apple!”

Smh....

 

[npmacuser5]

Yeah I bought what was it $1149 Stainless Black original watch. It is a bummer, but it works ok otherwise.

I don't think it's the end of the world, but first gen apple devices sure do get cut off sooner.

The reason I purchased the least expensive Series One Sport Watch. Figured in the first two years Apple would make significant changes, and they did. Likewise, my Series One Watch more then adequate, less the new features. Therefore, will wait a bit longer to upgrade.

 

[allenvanhellen]

And none of us get that Series 3 Watch face, right?

 

[imwoblin]

Has anyone with a gen 1 watch had an alert for rapid heart rate when not exercising?
Seems this feature is not included with the software update either..

 

[Kettil]

https://support.apple.com/HT204666

Heart rate notifications are available only on Apple Watch Series 1 or later.

Apple Watch measures your heart rate throughout the day when you’re still, and periodically when you’re walking (Apple Watch Series 1 or later).

 

[2010mini]

As long as devs can make apps that do the same, I’m ok with that.

 

[bkaus]

Ugh Apple, seriously? I’m an owner of the stainless steel 1st gen Apple Watch and I’m not looking for an upgrade yet since it’s in a pretty good condition. Why should my watch not get the watchOS 4 features if my watch’s hardware is practically identical to Apple Watch Series 1 except for the faster processor. Ridiculous!

I would rather have Apple remove other useless features like ToyStory Watch faces and let me use a feature that I was actually looking forward to.

A faster more efficient processor makes a huge difference. I wouldn’t call that “practically the same”.

 

[Robert.Walter]

How about the two key safety features: 1. Arrhythmia and 2. Tachycardia monitoring?

We ordered the new watches but planned to use our gen 0 watches when sleeping for monitoring and alerting on these functions.

 

[Exile714]

Has anyone with a gen 1 watch had an alert for rapid heart rate when not exercising?
Seems this feature is not included with the software update either..

I haven’t had the alert, but you have to set it up in the iPhone Health App. It’s definitely an option.

 

[ErikGrim]

How about the two key safety features: 1. Arrhythmia and 2. Tachycardia monitoring?

We ordered the new watches but planned to use our gen 0 watches when sleeping for monitoring and alerting on these functions.

You can get the elevated heartrate when inactive alerts on s0, but the arrythmia monitoring is part of the US only Stanford study later this year. Pending results, slated for a future wOS release I presume.

 

[kstotlani]

I have not been able to find any documentation if apple has changed its sampling from every 10 minutes to continuous. Fitbit charge hr measures heart rate every 5 seconds and according to apple the Watch does it every 10 minutes so if you get a bad heart rate inside those 10 minutes then you are out of luck? During a workout the Watch will sample continuously but not during regular times.

For this new feature to work the heart rate sampling should be continuous or else it seems completely meaningless. Does anyone have more information on this if apple changed the 10 minute interval.

And one more thing - am I the only one who thinks that is the ugliest graph ever