Google Unveils Crucial Free Update for Pixel Watch

The Pixel Watch 3 is introducing a groundbreaking feature that could be a lifesaver. Google recently shared in a blog post that they've secured FDA clearance for their innovative Loss of Pulse Detection feature.

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This feature is designed to monitor your heartbeat continuously. Should your heart stop beating due to cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, an overdose, or poisoning, the watch will immediately activate its more precise infrared LEDs and begin analyzing motion data.

If the watch detects that you're unresponsive, it initiates a countdown accompanied by an audio alarm. If you remain unresponsive, the watch will automatically call emergency services via your LTE or phone connection, alerting them to your lack of pulse and sharing your precise location.

Google assures that the watch can distinguish between a genuine cardiac event and situations where the user simply removes the watch.

Google's Collaboration with Cardiologists

While safety features like fall detection and crash detection are not new, the Loss of Pulse Detection feature on the Pixel Watch 3 is in a league of its own, which is why it required FDA clearance. Unlike other smartwatches that might check your heart rate less frequently—such as the Apple Watch, which does so every 3 to 7 minutes by default—the Pixel Watch 3 monitors your heartbeat more continuously.

In an interview with The Verge in August, Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management for Pixel wearables, described the pulse detection as a sophisticated blend of pulse, heartbeat, skin contact, and various motion signals.

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To develop this feature, Google collaborated closely with cardiologists to understand how a loss of pulse manifests in the watch's data. This information was crucial in developing an AI algorithm, which was rigorously tested using extensive real-life user data from a diverse population. Additionally, Google employed stunt actors using tourniquets to simulate a lack of pulse and conducted simulations of falls that could mimic a sudden loss of pulse.

Release Timeline

The Loss of Pulse Detection feature is set to be available in the US by the end of March, arriving through a software update.