Fitbit offers various smartwatches and fitness trackers with some health monitoring functions. Now the manufacturer is standing out with a new feature. With an update, Fitbit enables monitoring of the oxygen level in the blood.
Fitbit has released a remarkable update for some products that allows monitoring of blood oxygen levels. The Apple Watch could also offer this feature, but to date the function has not been activated by Apple. iFixit discovered the feature in the first version of the popular smartwatch back in 2015 - why Cupertino is still hesitating is unknown.
Three Fitbit models receive the update
As Tizenhelp reports, users of a Fitbit Ionic, Versa and Charge 3 fitness tracker can activate the feature via an update. However, the update is only available to US users - at least for now. The recorded values are only estimates, however - Fitbit explains within the new app.
Blood oxygen saturation normally fluctuates, but large fluctuations can be associated with breathing problems. The estimated oxygen fluctuation roughly corresponds to changes in the oxygen saturation of your blood.
But they do have a benefit. The recorded SP02 values allow for better tracking of one's sleep and help identify health problems such as sleep apnea.
Is Apple waiting for approval?
But why doesn't Apple offer such a feature in the world's most popular and advanced smartwatch? As already mentioned, the first clues were discovered in 2015. It can therefore be assumed that the Apple Watch has the necessary hardware. This means that older models could also be taken into account with the help of a watchOS update. But why doesn't Apple release the whole thing? A lack of approval could be the reason. Even such a feature is strictly regulated and requires the approval of an authority. It could be possible that this will happen with watchOS 7 - it remains exciting. If you are interested in Fitbit products, you should take a look at our Amazon Shop. You will find all the latest devices there – have fun browsing. (Photo by GeorgeRudy / Bigstockphoto)
