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Hands-On With the ECG Feature for Apple Watch Series 4

Tried several times and all I get is “inconclusive”. The watch is snug, as instructed. The heart rate app works fine.
 
Easy instructions to download and my apple watch s4 ss tells me "Sinus Rhythm" 66 BPM average. I'll take that results all day everyday thank you.
 
SigurTom said:
"Apple today released the watchOS 5.1.2 update to the public, and the update implements a much-anticipated ECG feature for all Apple Watch Series 4 users in the United States.
...
For now, the ECG feature is available in a beta capacity to developers who have the watchOS 5.1.2 update installed. There is no watchOS public beta, so non-developers will need to wait until the official release of watchOS 5.1.2 to install the update. "

wat?
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This wouldnt have happened if Steve Jobs was the CEO of Macrumors..
 
I'm 45, on high blood pressure meds along with diabetes and all those complications. Had my first full ECG at my doctor this year. Not sure if this will do much for me but it works well. I really hope they can figure out non-invasive blood glucose tracking on a future watch. I need to start exercising again so I hope the apple watch helps motivate me; I need to lose the 50lbs I gained since starting insulin last year.
 
Jamers99 said:
So how often should I be checking this? Do you just check it if you feel something odd in your heart area?
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As someone with no preexisting heart concerns, I'm starting to think that, yeah, I'll check it only if something 'feels' wrong. I really can't see myself checking it on a regular schedule. I'm not even sure if that's the intent.

So now that ECG is finally here, it's raising unexpected questions about usage and purpose (to me at least)
 
SigurTom said:
"Apple today released the watchOS 5.1.2 update to the public, and the update implements a much-anticipated ECG feature for all Apple Watch Series 4 users in the United States.
...
For now, the ECG feature is available in a beta capacity to developers who have the watchOS 5.1.2 update installed. There is no watchOS public beta, so non-developers will need to wait until the official release of watchOS 5.1.2 to install the update. "

wat?
Click to expand...

Sorry! I prepared this when we expected a beta with this feature and now I'm out on vacation. Someone published for me and forgot to tweak that bit. I've updated to reflect that this is release software. Apologies for the mixup here.
 
Arran said:
As someone with no preexisting heart concerns, I'm starting to think that, yeah, I'll check it only if something 'feels' wrong. I really can't see myself checking it on a regular schedule. I'm not even sure if that's the intent.

So now that ECG is finally here, it's raising unexpected questions about usage and purpose (to me at least)
Click to expand...
With watchOS 5.1.2 the series 1-4 watches can automatically check for AFib periodically. It will warn you if it detects anything abnormal, at which point it might be a good time to run that ECG test.

https://www.apple.com/healthcare/site/docs/Apple_Watch_Arrhythmia_Detection.pdf
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alfonsog said:
I'm 45, on high blood pressure meds along with diabetes and all those complications. Had my first full ECG at my doctor this year. Not sure if this will do much for me but it works well. I really hope they can figure out non-invasive blood glucose tracking on a future watch. I need to start exercising again so I hope the apple watch helps motivate me; I need to lose the 50lbs I gained since starting insulin last year.
Click to expand...
If you set it right, it will pester you about all kinds of things you should be doing.
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Jamers99 said:
So how often should I be checking this? Do you just check it if you feel something odd in your heart area?
Click to expand...
“You can take an ECG at any time, when you’re feeling symptoms such as a rapid or skipped heartbeat, when you have other general concerns about your heart health, or when you receive an irregular rhythm notification.”
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208955
 
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I can’t tell what is going on with my readings. I feel like my watch isn’t always making contact with my wrist, because if I move the watch a little the recording wildly swings either up or down.

If I rest my arm and go 30 seconds, the chart is very flat. It reads a Sinus rhythm but the recording is so flat...

*read responses in here and I tightened that wrist strap all the way down. NOW I can see my heart blips!!
 
drumcat said:
Why is it America only, exactly? I mean, it's clear some in America have different hearts, but how different is this?
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Someone may already have replied, so sorry if I'm doubling up. It's because Apple need to get regulation from different organisations in different companies. The FDA have cleared it in America, but Apple still have to have it approved around the world.

It does put them in a bind with this and future features that are similar.

Either try and get it approved before they announce a product, and risk it leaking, or you have this awkward wait where you can buy a product with a feature disabled.
 
drumcat said:
Why is it America only, exactly? I mean, it's clear some in America have different hearts, but how different is this?
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because in europe this is a medical device which gets not easily approved for consumers - america has greater hearts and dont needs crap like that!
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kevingaffney said:
Great news. Went to great lengths to sell my series 2, bought the 4 mainly to track my afib here in Ireland and find out changing the region wont activate the feature and likely we’ll never see it here. Still, it’s a cracking watch even without the ecg
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well what tells us your story about consumer behaviour and spending patterns?
 
drumcat said:
Why is it America only, exactly? I mean, it's clear some in America have different hearts, but how different is this?
Click to expand...
Because other countries (European ones) have strict rules when it comes to health. They would not be so dumb to let an Apple watch dictate a persons health. but hay in the USA anything goes....
 
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So how long does it take for the reading to appear on the iPhone. The first time I did it was instant, now it is unpredictable. Is there a way to force the iPhone to update the readings?
 
This is such a gimmick to sell iOS devices. The heart rate apps that use the camera and light with the finger on the camera lense are just as accurate.
 
Hoosier317 said:
Are you really that fragile?
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Umm...based on what exactly? A couple of posts in this thread?
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Has nothing to do with fragile, the comment doesn’t belong on the forum it is out of line political rubbish.
 
DrJR said:
Has nothing to do with fragile, the comment doesn’t belong on the forum it is out of line political rubbish.
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I find your use of words interesting "out of line political rubbish" so their is a political concept that we should be in-line with?
 
ericgtr12 said:
Nice, thanks Dan!
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I got the notice of a watchOS update, to 12.1.2, which is necessary to enable the ECG function. The instructions, however, did not say to FIRST upgrade your phone to iOS 12.1.1.

So, three hours later, still no upgrade on the watch, just sitting there waiting...Sheesh. Don’t make this mistake. When I did my wife’s watch, it all took about 30 minutes, include the iPhone update, because I did that first. C’mon Apple, write clear instructions, please.
 
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