Apple gets approval to launch Apple Watch ECG feature in Australia
Apple on Tuesday received approval from the Australian Government’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to expand the Apple Watch’s ECG feature to Australia, following the earlier approval of irregular heart rhythm notifications last month.
First spotted by The 8-Bit (via MacRumors), official TGA documents show Apple’s ECG feature has now been approved under “Medical Device Class IIa,” giving the green light for Apple to expand the app, that allows users to perform an electrocardiogram with their Apple Watch Series 4 and above to show whether their heart rhythm indicates signs of atrial fibrillation, a serious form of irregular heart rhythm, or a normal sinus rhythm.
Apple has been slow in enabling Apple Watch’s ECG functionality around the world since it launched initially in 2018, largely down to each country requiring individual approval before the technology can be legally released.
There’s no telling when exactly Apple will expand its ECG app to Australia but it could be as soon as later this month, when the iPhone maker is expected to roll out watchOS 7.5, which is currently in beta testing.