Featured Image Credit: Google
Our wearables are getting more advanced than ever, and whether it's locating us when we're lost in the wilderness or allowing emergency calls when there's no signal, there's also car crash detection and even hopes that future Apple Watch models will soon be able to monitor blood pressure.
Now, Google has been praised for rolling out a potentially life-saving feature after regions in Europe have been using it for months. The release of the Pixel Watch 3 in September 2024 was heralded by a host of Fitbit features, an all-new 45mm option, faster charging, and better metrics.
As reported by The Verge, Sandeep Waraich, senior director of product management for Pixel wearables, said: "We are deeply committed in this space. It is by far our biggest leap, probably bigger than even introducing the first generation [Pixel Watch]."
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The Pixel Watch 3 was also set to introduce the new Loss of Pulse detection system to alert emergency services if something unthinkable happens during your workout, and now, it's finally getting a full rollout.
In the USA, Loss of Pulse detection required approval from the FDA and got caught up in regulatory red tape. A peer-reviewed study was published in Nature, explaining how Google meticulously went through over 100,000 hours of data in hopes of minimizing false alerts.
Importantly Loss of Pulse detection isn't just for when you're out on a run. Put to use in case of incidents like heart attacks, respiratory failure, and overdoses, it really is seen as a potentially life-saving feature.
Discussing Loss of Pulse before release, Waraich explained how it should outshine rivals because it monitors your heart rate more frequently than something like the Apple Watch checking in every few minutes unless you're exercising. He also promised it can tell the difference between a user taking their watch off and a genuine loss of pulse: "It’s a combination of sensors and sensor fusion.
“It’s looking at pulse, heartbeat, contact with skin, and a bunch of other things like motion."
When a loss of pulse is detected, the Pixel Watch 3 will apparently 'escalate' the incident through the likes of using infrared LEDs to try and detect motion data.
This isn't a complete failsafe, and as the small print reminds us: "Loss of Pulse Detection may not detect every instance of a loss of pulse and is not intended for users with preexisting heart conditions or those who require cardiac monitoring.
“It does not diagnose or treat any medical condition or provide follow-up care."
Pixel Watch 3 owners are told to wait for an opt-in option to appear on their watch but are warned it could take a few weeks to fully reach all devices. Just make sure you're up to date with the 2025.03.19.x Play Store version.
This is just the start of the Pixel Watch 3 updates, with Google having recently delivered its April 2025 OTA update and real-time Scam Detection to figure out if you're getting nuisance calls without needing to get your phone out.
