The Apple Watch Series 6 feels like it has perfected many of the features I liked about its predecessor. It has a brighter always-on display, a more powerful processor, faster charging, and two new color options to choose from. But the feature I was most excited to try out was its new sensor that measures oxygen saturation in the blood (aka SpO2) with the tap of a screen.
But unlike the ECG feature on the Apple Watch, which has been tried, tested, and cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration, along with the irregular heart rhythm notifications, SpO2 on the Apple Watch still seems to be in its early stages. Navigating all this new data can be daunting for anyone who’s not a medical professional.
Much like a pulse oximeter, Series 6 uses red and infrared light from its new sensor to determine the percentage of oxygen in the blood. But instead of shining the light through your fingertip, it uses the light that’s reflected from the blood vessels in your wrist to determine your oxygen levels based on the color of your blood.
During the setup process, you’re asked whether you want to activate SpO2 tracking, which I did, but you can always go back and disable it in the settings after the fact. The first thing I did after strapping on the Watch was open the Blood Oxygen app. It gives you a few tips on how to get the best result, and you need to rest your arm on a table or flat surface while the Watch is taking a reading.