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Sensor issues forced health features to be cut from Apple Watch

Apple was forced to drop a raft of health-related features from its upcoming smartwatch following issues with the built-in sensors, claims a report.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer

Apple was forced to drop a raft of health-related features from its upcoming smartwatch following issues with the built-in sensors, claims a report.

According to the Wall Street Journal, plans to have the Apple Watch monitor heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels were dropped because the sensors performed too inconsistently for the company's liking. Variables such as the tightness of the band, varying skin moisture levels, and hairiness of the wearer's arms proved too difficult to compensate for, despite four years of research, development, and testing.

Apple also wanted to avoid implementing any health-related features that could result in regulatory scrutiny.

As a result of this, Apple shifted the focus of the device away from health and instead marketed it as a companion device for the iPhone.

Despite this setback, the report claims that Apple is still banking on it being a hit, with 6 million units being ordered for the first quarter. Half of these will be the entry-level 'Sports' model, and a third being the mid-tier stainless steel version with a sapphire face. The report also claims that the top-end gold version could sell for as much as $4,000 apiece, so if you're looking for bling, you'd better start saving your pennies now.

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