For some crowds, Apple revealing new products is like Christmas coming months early. Technology employees everywhere used to toil away in order to prepare for the frenzy, but that hasn’t been the case since Apple sales began slowing down.The iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xr along with the Apple Watch Series 4 are projected to boost trades. Each device has different features and price points, an attempt to (re)appeal to a wider range of customers. The Series 4 Watch is a step in Apple joining the medical device community. It is unknown what this means for the corporate powerhouse. The iPhone is its most popular source of revenue at the moment, but officials have said they are hoping to branch out to different parts of technology.
During the debut, it was revealed that the Series 4 Watch would later have a built-in ECG,or electrocardiogram. An ECG is slightly different from a PPG in that it tracks electrical activity in the heart. This application was recently cleared by the FDA. It is important to grasp that the FDA “clearing” these features is not the same as “approving” them. Approval would mean that it has proven safe for everyone and will be released immediately. The company has yet to prove if this fancy new watch sends anxious users to the emergency room unnecessarily. These features are set to go on the watch in later months (not upon release to the public).
Customers would be able to (better) monitor heart activity and abnormalities. Monitoring heart activity is not something that is new to the Apple Watches. Traditional watches have a sensor made to monitor heartbeats per minute, called a PPG. A simple feature with a simple function. An ECG is a more in-depth, multi-dimensional picture of a heartbeat. “The mission statements of Apple have always to been willing to develop new things. Sure, they can be costlier, but I have never been disappointed with its abilities or length of time it works,” said Mr. Gary Horton, science teacher at Riverside Secondary School.
The cusp of revelations begins with Apples new phones: the iPhone Xs, Xr, and the Xs Max. The response has been strained, with financially elusive prices and virtually identical inner workings to previous iPhones being the main cause. The price tags range from $750 to $1,100. Add in the cost of Apple Care, data plans, accident insurance for that one bad drop, and it’s a definite way to empty a wallet for a long time. At the same time, Apple declared its cheapest iPhone out of commission. There are two ways this could go: it could boost near term revenue and profits, but it could also discourage consumers from becoming customers and cause long term damage as a result.
If past products are anything to go by, than these new devices will look, act, and behave in a better way than previous electronics ever did. Despite backlash over every aspect of their products, Apple continues to persevere and push the limits of what is possible for technology.
