Apple Watch 6 leak suggests wearable can track your sleep and monitor blood oxygen levels

The Apple Watch 6 is expected to arrive sometime this year. A new leak about the upcoming device hints that it will be better than ever and will sport high-tech features. Here are its top three health-focused functionalities.

Sleep tracking

One of the long-awaited features will finally be making its way to the upcoming Apple Watch Series 6. The wearable will now be able to monitor and track its user’s sleep data, a feature that is already found in some of its competitors.

Previously, Apple accidentally leaked its Sleep app which is intended for the Apple Watch 6 suggesting that the feature is indeed finally arriving in the wearable, according to 9TO5Mac. Leaked iOS 14 code obtained by the publication finally confirmed its existence in the coming device.

The leak suggests that users will be able to access the Apple Watch 6’s sleep tracking features via the Health app on an iPhone. Users can then set their own sleep goals and check out recommendations to get better quality and longer sleep.

Blood oxygen monitoring

Another health feature that will also be making its way into the Apple Watch 6 is the ability to track the blood oxygen saturation of its wearer, Forbes reported. This feature is already present in Fitbit and Withings but it’s nice to see Apple finally catching up to the trend.

Blood oxygen levels should normally be 95 percent and above. However, it should be a cause of concern when it dips to below 80 percent.

Below normal blood oxygen level is called hypoxemia. Severe cases of hypoxemia could lead to complications to the body’s tissues and organs. In fact, prolonged cases of severe low blood oxygen levels could increase the risk of cardiac arrest or other respiratory issues.

The leaked code suggests that the Apple Watch 6 will notify wearers if their blood oxygen level dips below a certain threshold. There are already existing notification alerts such as when unusual heart rate is detected so it looks like this feature will produce a similar alert when needed.

Improved ECG readings

Apple Watch models Series 4 and Series 5 already have this ECG reading capability. However, it has been noted the wearables were not as accurate when reading heart rates between 100 and 120 beats per minute. The Apple Watch 6 will overcome this weakness either through the improvement of its sensor or in its watchOS or through a combination of both.