Smartwatches and smart rings are considered “wellness” devices. While they may contain FDA-approved sensors, it’s always advised to take concerning readings with caution. However, the makers of smartwatches and smart rings are aiming for medical-grade accuracy at any cost, not necessarily for the peace of mind of the users but because of the potential profit to be gained if the healthcare industry adopts them.
Sunday Runday
In this weekly column, Android Central Wearables Editor Michael Hicks discusses the world of wearables, apps, and fitness tech related to running and health, in his quest to get faster and fitter.
The OnePlus Watch 3 made headlines last week due to its 5-day battery life, overshadowing the news about OnePlus launching a €13.5 million 4,840m² Health Lab in Guangdong, China. Run by “medical professionals and multidisciplinary software and hardware engineers,” the lab is focused on “long-term research collaborations” with over 30 medical companies and research institutions to examine athletes’ physiological data.
OnePlus intends to use lab sensors to enhance the accuracy of self-developed algorithms, enabling smartwatches to better monitor exercise capacity and cardiopulmonary health.
This may sound intense, but it’s not surprising. Job listings at Apple and Google show positions related to clinical studies, health sensor development, data center construction, health privacy, biophotonics, and more. The paths of cardiologists and smartwatch engineers have merged in Big Tech.
Some of this research is geared towards new health data points; Apple is reportedly close to introducing blood pressure tracking, while Samsung hints at non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. Achieving this requires significant research and development.
Other research focuses on enhancing heart rate algorithms for athletes, with Google claiming that the Pixel Watch 3 offers the “most accurate heart rate for running yet” in an attempt to attract customers from fitness brands like Garmin and Polar. This watch was also the first to feature a “Loss of Pulse” feature.
However, targeting athletes or consumers with health issues alone is insufficient to justify these investments. Google didn’t acquire Fitbit for $2.1 billion just to enhance the accuracy of its future Pixel Watches, and OnePlus’s new sports lab isn’t solely for casual athletes who wear its watches.
A business-to-business (B2B) battle is on the horizon for smartwatches and smart rings striving to become the clinical, portable choice for other industries. They are racing to gather your data and utilize it for self-improvement until they can set their sights higher. The health warnings or daily workout recommendations you receive are just a byproduct.
Big Tech x Healthcare = profit?
Apple’s recent announcement of its Health Study focused on using technology to predict, detect, monitor, and manage changes in participants’ health across various areas such as activity, aging, cardiovascular health, and more.
This ambitious study is not intrusive, and participants have options on what information to share with researchers while Apple does not receive identifying data. The study aims to gather overall results from millions of customers to determine the effectiveness of the watches in tracking certain data and areas where improvements are needed.
This type of data can be incredibly valuable for preventive care as it can analyze health and fitness trends to alert individuals of potential changes in their physiology or mental capacity. This can benefit users while also helping Apple maintain customer loyalty by marketing its Watches as life-saving devices.
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