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Withings’ new smartwatch has an EKG sensor to compete with the Apple Watch

Withings’ new smartwatch has an EKG sensor to compete with the Apple Watch

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Also, an estimated 12 months of battery life

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Image: Withings

Withings introduced multiple wearables at CES today, including a new watch that can take electrocardiograms (EKGs) and has an estimated 12 months of battery life. That’s a lot. The Move ECG is part of the new Move line, and it includes an EKG to measure heart rhythm patterns.

The Move ECG features three electrodes to take measurements: two inside the back of the watch and a third in the bezel. Users touch both sides of the bezel to take a measurement, and the watch will vibrate when it has a reading. All of the data can then be found in the company’s companion app, Health Mate.

The EKG feature is currently under FDA clearance review. Withings doesn’t need FDA clearance to sell the device, but it would give the company marketing collateral and boost its image as a health brand. Apple received FDA clearance for EKG monitoring on its latest Apple Watch, but it came with a caveat from the FDA that the device was “not intended to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment.” Basically, you don’t want to rely on your smartwatch for serious medical diagnoses.

The Move ECG also tracks users’ activity levels and steps based on their phone’s GPS, and it monitors sleep. Withings is selling a lower-end model, too, simply called the Move. The only difference between the Move ECG and the standard Move is the electrocardiogram feature.

Image: Withings

The lower-end Move watch costs $69.95 with 18 months of battery life, and it’s available to preorder now in five color options. Shipping will start on February 5th. The Move ECG costs $129.95, and it will be available in Q2 of this year.

Beyond the watches, Withings is also launching its BPM Core, a connected cuff and stainless steel tube that’s designed to take blood pressure readings, monitor your heart rhythm, and listen to your heart through a digital stethoscope.

The blood pressure monitor works the same way as one at a doctor’s office: the cuff inflates to measure systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate. That cuff and a stainless steel sensor can then be used as an EKG sensor, too. The device also has a sensor that users can place on their chest, which Withings says will listen to the heart. The setup charges over Micro USB and it can perform “hundreds of measurements” on a single charge. It costs $249.95, and it will be released in Q2 this year. It’s also undergoing FDA clearance.