Apple Watch Health Upgrades Rumoured To Include Blood-Pressure Monitoring, Fertility Planning

In the not-too-distant future, you may be able to use your Apple Watch to constantly monitor your health. Sources who claim to have access to internal Apple documents told the Wall Street Journal that the tech company is planning to add various new health features to the Apple Watch. These features may include blood pressure trends, a thermometer for fertility and sleep tracking, sleep apnea detection, and diabetes detection, as well as a few updates for existing models.

The sources claim that the aforementioned temperature sensor might be coming to a new Apple Watch as early as next year. This contradicts an earlier report by Bloomberg which expected Apple to add the thermometer and glucose sensor in this year’s model. The sensor is said to assist in fertility planning based on ovulation cycle tracking and improved detection of sleep patterns, with hopes that it could someday be used to detect fevers.

Apple is also developing a blood-pressure sensor that would do away with the usual inflatable cuffs, which will be able to highlight the presence of hypertension. The system works by using said sensor to measure the speed of the heartbeat, through a user’s arteries. However, Apple employees have reportedly been skeptical of the usefulness of the feature, since it would not be able to provide a baseline systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurement.

Last year’s Series 6 watches launched with a blood-oxygen sensor that measures the oxygen saturation level within the user’s blood. Apple has plans to use this sensor to monitor sleep apnea but encountered a stumbling block when the required number of readings for it to be effective would quickly drain the watch’s battery. The company’s ambitions to have a non-invasive glucose monitor also appeared to hit a snag and they are apparently working with the National University of Singapore to research lifestyle coaching for pre-diabetic people who use regular blood-glucose monitoring devices.

It should be emphasized that the report also warns that most of these new features are currently being studied, and may not even make it to consumers’ hands. On a separate note, Apple seems to be requesting FDA clearance to expand the use of existing Apple Watch models. These include heart rhythm tracking for people with atrial fibrillation and alerts for drops in blood oxygen levels.

Huawei To Expand Car Collaboration With Changan To Include Making Automotive Chips

Huawei is broadening its existing smart car partnership with government-owned Changan Automobile to include the design and development of automotive chips, sources told Reuters.

For months, both companies have been informally working together on chips, two sources told Reuters. Another source claimed that the companies might soon enter a joint venture dedicated to chip development.

The move does seem natural as the global automotive industry has seen crippling production delays due to an ongoing shortage of semiconductor chips. Major chip producers see the shortage lasting into next year.

Also, last month, Huawei announced that it would collaborate with three automakers to produce self-driving cars with the Huawei name as a sub-brand. Changan is one of those automakers. The company has worked on developing its own chips, but hasn’t gotten far, two sources told Reuters.

Huawei’s smart car collaboration with Changan involves the former providing the vehicle’s operating system and cabin technologies while latter is assigned vehicle design and engineering.

Huawei’s pivot to the automotive industry comes after its core smartphone business was wrecked by US sanctions enacted by former US President Donald Trump. In April, the company said it would spend over US$1 billion (~RM4.1 billion) to research and develop self-driving and electric car technologies.