A patent filed by Google subsidiary Fitbit shows that the company plans to include blood pressure measurement support in one of its upcoming smartwatches.
The patent shows a pressure sensor on the side of the watch where the user has to place their index finger to get a blood pressure reading.
The watch provides on-screen audio or visual alerts informing the user of the correct position of the finger so that the radial artery of the finger is in the correct location for the sensor, and the watch prompts the user to choose the correct level of pressure applied.
Fitbit has been at the forefront of fitness tracker manufacturers since it launched its first wristband in 2009, and has been working ever since to release new devices with more advanced features. The latest generation of devices offers a variety of sensors such as ECG sensors, EDA tonometers, SpO2 oximeters, and HRV heart rate variability sensors, in addition to basic sensors such as pedometers, heart rate, and sleep heart rate tracking.
In addition to the activity tracking range, Fitbit launched its first smartwatch, the Versa 1, in 2018, and has since released several recent models running the company's Fitbit operating system.
Acquisition by Alphabet
And in 2021, Alphabet, the owner of Google, bought Fitbit for $ 2.1 billion with the aim of producing its own line of smart watches that run on the Android Wear operating system for wearable devices, with no Apple Watch on the throne of the smart watch that can compete in the market.
The partnership resulted in Google's first smartwatch last year, the Pixel Watch, which brought Fitbit's health and fitness features to Android Wear for the first time. However, the first generation Google Watch was not well received by reviewers due to poor battery performance and an imperfect experience.
Although Fitbit has become a subsidiary of Google, the company says it will continue to operate as a separate entity after the acquisition, producing its own devices alongside the Google Pixel line of watches.
It is not known whether Fitbit intends to support blood pressure measurement in its own watch or if the feature will be introduced in the next generation watch (Pixel), in the latter case, Google will not highlight Apple n that it has not yet done so. Smart watch contains. Competitive advantage shown in.