Smart watches have long passed the point of merely telling the time, offering a bewildering array of health features from step-counting to electrocardiograms.
But Apple’s latest device will now also tell users the best time to conceive.
The tech giant last night revealed its new Apple Watch 8 will make family planning ‘easy and convenient’ with an ovulation feature. The watch – which will cost from £419 – uses two sensors to check women’s wrist temperature every five seconds overnight, recording the basal body temperature – the lowest level attained during rest.
The tech giant last night revealed its new Apple Watch 8 will make family planning ‘easy and convenient’ with an ovulation feature
Smart watches have long passed the point of merely telling the time, offering a bewildering array of health features from step-counting to electrocardiograms
The watch – which will cost from £419 – uses two sensors to check women’s wrist temperature every five seconds
Slight increases, as small as 0.1 degrees, can be a sign of ovulating. Experts believe tracking this every day can help predict when a woman is most likely to conceive. The most fertile time is the days just before ovulation, plus the day of ovulation and the day after.
Sumbul Desai, Apple’s health boss, said at last night’s launch event: ‘If you’re trying to conceive, knowing if and when you ovulated can inform your family planning with your healthcare provider.’
Temperature sensing will also help women to track their period more accurately, with users receiving a notification if their logged cycle changes, which can be a sign of an underlying condition.
The most fertile time is the days just before ovulation, plus the day of ovulation and the day after
Apple said: ‘The menstrual cycle is an important marker of health and many physicians consider it a vital sign. Apple Watch Series 8 features innovative new temperature-sensing capabilities that give women further insights.’
The new watch will be available from September 16.
Silicon Valley has recently grown preoccupied with repopulating the planet, with Tesla boss Elon Musk – a father of ten – saying declining birth rates are the biggest danger to mankind.
But critics have pointed out that the more people there are, the more potential customers the tech firms can target.
