4 hours ago
7
In 2015, Jony Ive, Apple's then-industrial designer, introduced the Apple Watch and explained the design decisions behind the wearable that would eventually revolutionize health technology. "You can't determine a boundary between the physical object and the software," Ive said.
Also: Your next Apple Watch could have a feature that transforms healthcare
On the Apple Watch's 10th birthday, this concept of boundary-less-ness still holds. Eight years after the iPhone's debut, Apple created a device that blended into the wearer's life, with technology that tracked steps, maintained connections with friends and family, and even saved a few lives along the way. Sure, the Apple Watch debuted during Fitbit's reign, but the smartwatch, aided by constant feature innovation and mainstream ubiquity, trumped its competition in the long run.
Tim Cook has said that Apple's greatest contributions will be through its developments in health -- and nowhere is this more true than through the Apple Watch. Throughout its 10-year run, the tech giant has churned out lifesaving features around a user's wrist.
In celebration of 10 years of the Apple Watch, here are some of the most impactful features that have come out of the device and revolutionized wearable technology.
1. Closing rings
Did you close your rings today? Ten years ago, if someone asked you that question, you might have thought they were talking gibberish, but 10 years after the smartwatch's debut, the phrase "Closing your rings" has become synonymous with getting your steps in and maintaining an active life. That pays dividends: a recent study shows that people who regularly closed their rings saw improved sleep and less stress.
Also: Closing your Apple Watch rings can improve sleep, relieve stress, and win you prizes
The visualization of the Move, Stand, and Exercise rings on the small screen encapsulates the ingenious choices of Apple's design team. It offers a quick and digestible display of daily activity without flooding the screen with numbers and calorie counts. The result is daily activity encouragement, with nudges for movement and chimes for achievement that people have integrated into their everyday lives 10 years after its debut.
2. ECG and atrial fibrillation detection
When the Apple Watch Series 4's ECG app debuted in 2018, it was the first direct-to-consumer product that could take an electrocardiogram from a user's wrist. This made at-home atrial fibrillation detection -- often undetected in earlier stages -- possible and helped more people detect and manage irregular heart rhythm conditions.
Also: 8 times the Apple Watch predicted danger and saved lives
Apple had been working with the Food and Drug Administration for years ahead of the ECG app launch to receive De Novo classification, a first-of-its-kind device classification.
3. Emergency SOS
This feature, introduced in the Apple Watch Series 2, calls 911 for you during an accident or life-threatening event. The device sends your location as well, so the police, firefighters, or paramedics can easily find you. Additionally, your emergency contact is notified of your emergency, and your location is shared with them.
4. Fall detection
Fall detection is what we talk about when we talk about life-saving features on the Apple Watch. You won't get very far down the Apple Watch's subreddit before you find daily proclamations by users who share stories of the feature calling 911 after a bad fall or accident. One user recently detailed the Apple Watch detecting their fall in a parking lot after they experienced dizziness and loss of consciousness.
Also: Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch: Here's which health tracker is right for you
"Within minutes, the fire department and ambulance were on the scene," the user writes in their Reddit post. The doctors detected blood clots in the person's lungs, which caused their collapse. "The ER doc told me later that if help hadn't gotten to me so quickly, I had about a 50/50 chance of not making it."
5. Sleep apnea detection
Another often undetected condition, sleep apnea has historically been challenging and tedious to diagnose at home. People would have to go in for a doctor's visit or go to a sleep lab and get hooked up to machines to learn about their diagnosis. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra Watch 2, with their FDA-cleared Sleep Apnea Detection, made diagnosing the condition accessible for iOS users at long last.
Also: The best sleep trackers: Expert tested and reviewed
Now, Apple Watch wearers can take the smartwatch to bed, where the device monitors sleep over a 30-day period and offers up notifications and alerts if it detects irregular breathing. People can take that data to the doctor for an official diagnosis.
6. Research app
You can thank the Apple Watch's Research app for some of its latest innovations. The Research app gives Apple Watch users the opportunity to participate in medical studies conducted by Apple and its partners. These studies have led to further development of features and Apple Watch applications, namely, the Vitals app on the smartwatch and the Walking Steadiness feature on the iPhone.
7. Vitals
We might not get sleep or readiness scores on the Apple Watch, but we get the next best thing: the Vitals app.
Also: How to use your Apple Watch to predict when you may get sick
This native sleep monitoring app alerts you when your sleep duration, wrist temperature, respiratory rate, and heart rate are within normal or abnormal ranges. It's less aggressive than a sleep or readiness score and visualizes when your body is under strain or completely healthy, even detecting early signs of illness.
8. Training load
Whether you're on a weightlifting regimen or training for your first marathon, the Apple Watch's Training Load can guide you through your strain, recovery, and strength-building journey. Within the Apple Fitness app, the Training Load feature guides you through your daily workouts and pings you when you're pushing too hard -- or not hard enough.
Also: The best fitness trackers: Expert tested and reviewed
It's a great way to keep track of progress and stay committed to long-term fitness goals.
9. Apple Pay
Before the Apple Pay launch, if you wanted a credit card easily accessible on your arm, you'd have to tape an Amex to your wrist. Apple Pay was the smartwatch's first foray into NFC payments and underscored a key principle of the device -- that your Apple Watch can store everything you'd need in your day-to-day life, whether that's your Medical ID or lunch money, around your wrist.
10. Crash detection
Similar to Fall Detection, Crash Detection is yet another life-saving Apple Watch feature that calls emergency services when you've been in a car accident.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
English (US) ·