If you haven’t heard already, Apple, ahead of its April smartwatch launch, has reportedly dropped the complex biosensors for measuring blood pressure and blood oxygen levels. 

This means that the Apple Watch - at least this first generation - will not be measuring stress levels. 

While Apple moves forward with promoting HealthKit and the watch is still purported to help users make positive lifestyle changes, this news brings up a bigger issue: consumers will choose either a multi-purpose gadget or a wellness device that can track specific conditions or parameters. 

For those who prioritize stress reduction, EMVIO will soon be an option once we launch our Kickstarter campaign in the next few weeks. (If you haven’t seen our newest video showing EMVIO in action, click here.)

There was also the issue of time. Because of Apple’s standards for design, there was not sufficient time to perfect the biosensor components that would be contained in the Apple Watch. Packing all the features into the Apple Watch, while offering an acceptable battery life, proved to be a challenge. 

However, for the last two years, the team at EMVIO has been working on the optical sensors that our stress-measuring watch uses to monitor your body and emotions accurately and around-the-clock. Rather than having “measuring stress level” as an enticing, throw-away feature, EMVIO’s main focus is to help users manage their stress at an accessible price point. 

In addition to the advanced biosensors in EMVIO, our team has also put two years into perfecting the algorithms that calculate stress levels using heart-rate variability. To date, this is the only stress tracker that is backed by a large amount of scientific data from testing a working prototype. 

Our recent changes in design have also made the watch easier to wear, and these changes also help keep the watch in place, which is crucial for accurate stress measurement. 

As the new Apple Watch ratchets up the wearables and mobile health game, we here at EMVIO are having fun staying ahead of the curve. It’s a really exciting time for everyone in this industry, as we and other companies bring our technology from the lab to you.

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