watchOS 8.3 and iOS 15.2 Release Candidates Enable Apple Watch ECG in China

The watchOS 8.3 and iOS 15.2 release candidates, released to developers this week, enables ECG functionality for Apple Watch users in China following regulatory approval for the feature over the summer, according to ITHome.

apple watch ecg wrist
ECG capabilities, available with the Apple Watch Series 4 and later, allow users to quickly take an ECG by simply placing their finger on the Digital Crown and staying still for 30 seconds. Before the feature launches in countries, Apple must retain regulatory approval from the country's respective and appropriate authorities. The feature first launched in the U.S. in 2018 with the Apple Watch Series 4, following FDA approval.

watchOS 8.3 and iOS 15.2 are currently available to developers and public beta testers and can be expected to be launched publicly in the near future. iOS 15.2 includes several new features, including a redesigned Notification Summary, the Apple Music Voice Plan, Legacy Contacts, and more.

Tags: China, ECG

Top Rated Comments

chucker23n1 Avatar
20 months ago

One guess is it might be a medical device requirement.
To have it approved per-region, yes, but to do so in a software update? Why not have a server somewhere that answers "I'm in region x requests" with "OK, you're in"?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chucker23n1 Avatar
20 months ago
Strange that they're hardcoding these regions into the OS, rather than having a separate mechanism to decide who gets to use the feature. I guess it's not a huge deal, but rolling out an entire OS upgrade just to add

public bool IsEcgAvailable
{
switch (user.Region)
{
case China: // new in 8.3
return true;
default:
return false;
}
}


seems a bit much.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tridley68 Avatar
20 months ago
How convenient that China gets it before everyone else. Greasing Cooks palm
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
20 months ago
That’s a great addition. Glad, China is able to use the feature finally. Can’t wait till the release is out to Public. ?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BeefCake 15 Avatar
20 months ago

Strange that they're hardcoding these regions into the OS, rather than having a separate mechanism to decide who gets to use the feature. I guess it's not a huge deal, but rolling out an entire OS upgrade just to add

public bool IsEcgAvailable
{
switch (user.Region)
{
case China: // new in 8.3
return true;
default:
return false;
}
}


seems a bit much.
One guess is it might be a medical device requirement.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
headlessmike Avatar
20 months ago

Only took three years ? Also annoyingly foreigners are still unable to use eSIMs so my cellular S5 is still just an expensive red ring.
The cellular watches work in many different countries. Or am I missing something?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)