Huami set to launch ECG watches outside China
Huami is to make its new crop of electrocardiogram smartwatches available to international markets, according to a press report.
According to gadgetsandwearables.com most of Amazfit’s smartwatches are currently only available in China.
The move could mean further competition for Apple, Alphabet and Withings, who are already producing watches fitted with electrocardiogram sensors.
The website said that Huami has filed a raft of products with Bluetooth Special Interest Group, arbiter of standards and development of Bluetooth-based technologies.
Huami has already launched several devices in recent months, including the Amazfit Bip Lite, Amazfit Verge Lite, Amazfit Health Watch and the Amazfit Smart Watch 2.
All of these are now certified for launch, including ECG and non-ECG variants of the Amazfit Smartwatch 2.
It’s the Amazfit watch that could be of interest to its rivals – it is designed for health monitoring rather than sport.
In January Alphabet’s life science subsidiary became the latest firm to get an ECG watch approved by the FDA, as different manufacturers attempt to gain market share by boosting the credibility of their products.
Huami's watches fitted with a heart rate sensor can spot low heart rate, arrhythmia and atrial fibrillation at any time. There is also fall detection thanks to a six-axis accelerometer.
The Amazfit Smart Watch 2 also has health alerts and ECG monitoring capability, and is capable of working independently of a smartphone – although this feature may be reserved for users in China.
Withings is also launching new digital health products as part of a relaunch following its ill-fated merger with Nokia.
The company is describing its BPM Core blood pressure monitor as the “world’s most advanced at-home cardiovascular monitor”.
BPM Core readings can warn users about irregular heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation and can measure and record stethoscope readings.
The BPM Core is compatible with Apple technology, but Withings has also launched BPM Connect, a blood pressure monitor allowing connectivity without the need for an iPhone nearby.
Main image courtesy of Huami
