What you need to know
- Apple's ECG feature for Apple Watch has been approved for use in Australia.
- It means Apple is now free to make the feature available to Apple Watch users in the country.
Apple's ECG feature for Apple Watch has been approved for use in Australia, paving the way for it to finally be released.
As reported by The 8-Bit:
Apple Watch's ECG app has finally been approved in Australia after receiving approval for Irregular Heart Rhythm notifications last month.The Australian Government's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the ECG feature in the country yesterday under "Medical Device Class IIa," according to a document first spotted by The 8-Bit. This means that Apple Watch users in Australia will soon be able to access the ECG app.
Apple unveiled the ECG feature as part of the new Apple Watch Series 4 design in September of 2018, from that release:
Apple Watch Series 4 enables customers to take an ECG reading right from the wrist using the new ECG app, which takes advantage of the electrodes built into the Digital Crown and new electrical heart rate sensor in the back crystal. With the app, users touch the Digital Crown and after 30 seconds, receive a heart rhythm classification. It can classify if the heart is beating in a normal pattern or whether there are signs of Atrial Fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that could lead to major health complications. All recordings, their associated classifications and any noted symptoms are stored in the Health app in a PDF that can be shared with physicians.
As the report notes, the ball is now in Apple's court, and all that remains is for Apple to launch the feature in the country. Whilst ECG was included in the Apple Watch Series 4 from release, its rollout has been incremental as more countries approve the feature for use.
