What you need to know
- Apple Watch's ECG app is coming to South Korea and Russia.
- The feature has already saved lives elsewhere.
- Apple says iOS 14.2 and watchOS 7.1 will enable the feature.
Apple has confirmed that it is bringing the Apple Watch's ECG app to users of compatible Apple Watch models in South Korea. A Meduza report also says that Russian users are going to get in on the act as well.
Apple's South Korean Newsroom post says that the new functionality will be part of IOS 14.2 and watchOS 7.1 when they are released, although it doesn't go on to say when that will be. The iOS 14.2 release candidate is already in the hands of developers, however. So it's unlikely to be too long before it's made available publicly.
The ECG functionality has already saved multiple lives and it's hoped that it will continue to do so when rolled out to South Korea and Russia soon. It's already available in almost 50 countries worldwide with all Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, and Apple Watch Series 6 models compatible.
The ECG app records an electrocardiogram which represents the electrical pulses that make your heart beat. The ECG app checks these pulses to get your heart rate and see if the upper and lower chambers of your heart are in rhythm. If they're out of rhythm, that could be AFib.
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