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Apple adds blood oxygen monitoring to the Watch Series 6

A new sensor on the Apple Watch Series 6 allows it to measure blood saturation.

One of the new features coming to the Apple Watch this year is a tool for measuring your blood oxygen level. The Apple Watch Series 6 features a new sensor on the underside of the wearable’s casing that uses both red and infrared light to measure the oxygen in your red blood cells in about 15 seconds. It can also do background readings while you sleep.

Apple said it’s partnering with health networks across North America, including researchers at UC Irvine and the University of Toronto, to leverage the new feature to study the effects of COVID-19 on a person’s respiratory system.

Besides blood oxygen monitoring, watchOS 7 will include an improved framework for measuring VO2 max, which can give you a good idea of your cardiovascular health. Other new features coming to watchOS 7 include a handwashing feature and sleep tracking.