Rather than being smartphones, smartwatches have taken on an almost completely different identity from their mobile counterparts. Thanks to Apple’s push, these wearables have incorporated hardware and features that are more geared towards fitness and health, particularly in keeping track of various body signals and metrics. One thing that has escaped smartwatch makers’ grasp so far is measuring blood pressure, but even the likes of Fitbit are already trying to work on a cuff-less solution. Huawei might actually beat them to the punch, but its blood pressure measuring system won’t exactly be as convenient as many might have imagined.
The problem with implementing blood pressure monitors in smartwatches is that the process normally requires restricting blood flow temporarily. Medical equipment induce this by inflating a cuff or bladder wrapper around the person’s arm or wrist. An inflatable watch strap won’t exactly be convenient or stylish, and it seems that Huawei developed a compromise of sorts.
Based on leaks gathered by Sparrowsnews from Weibo, the Huawei Watch D will come with an accessory that you attach underneath the regular strap when you need to measure your blood pressure. That accessory inflates like a normal blood pressure monitor cuff, and the other parts of the smartwatch measure the data.
The process, however, also requires that wearers position their arms in a specific way and wear the Huawei Watch D on the left wrist only. The user has to lift their watch arm across their chest to the left side but should be careful not to touch their chest. The person also has to be seated and support their left arm by resting their left elbow on their right hand and not on a table.
It’s definitely not as convenient or as fast as using a portable blood pressure monitor, but it does mean you will have one less device to bring around with you. It also means you can take a measurement almost anywhere, provided you have a place you can sit down and set up the smartwatch. Whether or not this method actually takes accurate measurements is something for regulators to check.
