At CES, French consumer electronics company Withings unveiled new products with ECG features. This includes an analog wristwatch called the Move ECG and a blood pressure cuff called BPM Core.
Photo: Withings Smartwatch
The Move ECG watch has three electrodes. Two are inside the device and the third is located in the stainless steel bezel. And you can take a reading by placing your finger on the bezel for 20-30 seconds.
Once you place your finger on the bezel, it measures your heart rhythms. And then you can view ECG trends through the Withings Health Mate app.
What makes the Move ECG more appealing as a wearable device is that it has a long battery life as it is an analog hybrid. The Move ECG has a replaceable coin-cell battery with an estimated battery life of 12 months if you only take up to two 20-second ECG readings per day, according to Gizmodo.
As a comparison, the Apple Series 4 monitors heart rates throughout the day. But the Move ECG has a retail price of only $130 compared to the base $400 Apple Watch Series 4 price. However, the Move ECG has not been cleared by the FDA yet so the Apple Watch Series 4 has a bit more of a head start.
The BPM Core blood pressure cuff measures ECG used for identifying atrial fibrillation (AFib), which is a form of irregular heart rhythm that can cause heart failure and is a major risk for stroke.
The BPM Core gives you a heart health checkup in 90 seconds. After the checkup, the LED display will light up in green, orange, or red while displaying blood pressure levels.
Once the BPM Core receives clearance from the FDA, it will likely have a retail price of $250. And both the BPM Core and the Move ECG are expected to become available in the second half of this year.
