At the time they reported that there were mentions of it in an iOS 14 leak, but it wasn't clear if it would be a software update to existing watches (somehow able to detect it with existing heartrate hardware) or in a watch hardware revision. Since it wasn't mentioned in the watchOS news at WWDC, looks like it'll be new hardware.
Either that or the code they found in iOS 14 was related to the health app and support for 3rd party oximiters, but that's not how the 9to5 post frames it so best I can do is take their word for it.
Just bought a Huawei Honor 5 watch with pulse oximeter and heart rate functions: numbers seem correct and the device is fast: results in 5 seconds for O2 sat; almost instantaneous for HR.
Compare to Apple Watch HR function which takes at least 10 seconds to show result. Simultaneous side-by-side comparison of 2 devices: near identical numbers.
Garmin seems to be highly inaccurate at measuring oxygen and the devices take a very long time compared to a finger oximeter. I get 93% but a cheap Walmart finger oximeter shows me at 99%.
Wow they finally did it. After the hardware being there for _years_ they managed to get around to enabling the software. I already jettisoned them for Garmin after waiting so long.
Same frustrations here! Couldn't believe when I bought their smart device based on advertising that said they had the hardware to do it.... but it wasn't enabled.
Does anyone know, in general, if a watch device already has a pulse measurement LED system, whether that can also serve as a pulse ox measurement? or are they different hardware requirements?
https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/08/apple-watch-blood-oxygen-satu...
At the time they reported that there were mentions of it in an iOS 14 leak, but it wasn't clear if it would be a software update to existing watches (somehow able to detect it with existing heartrate hardware) or in a watch hardware revision. Since it wasn't mentioned in the watchOS news at WWDC, looks like it'll be new hardware.
Either that or the code they found in iOS 14 was related to the health app and support for 3rd party oximiters, but that's not how the 9to5 post frames it so best I can do is take their word for it.