Apple Tests Continuous Heart Rate Monitoring for Next Watches

Apple is testing a significant upgrade for its next-generation smartwatches that would enable continuous, all-day heart rate monitoring, a move aimed at closing a key gap with dedicated fitness trackers from competitors like Whoop and Oura. According to reports from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the feature is in development for the Apple Watch Series 12 and Watch Ultra 4, which are expected to be announced at Apple's hardware event on September 9. Currently, Apple Watch models measure heart rate periodically throughout the day when the wearer is still and at intervals during walking, but reserve continuous monitoring for active workout sessions. The proposed change would extend that constant tracking to all hours, providing a more complete dataset on resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and daily trends. This shift is designed to offer users a more detailed and continuous picture of their cardiovascular health and recovery, similar to the data streams provided by specialized wellness devices. The development is part of a broader effort to revamp the watch's health and fitness software.