New version of activity tracker Pulse monitors oxygen in blood

The French consumer electronics company, Withings has announced the launch of the Pulse O2 activity tracker, an expansion of the Withings’ original Pulse.

The product is available on Amazon at Rs 9,999.

Like its predecessor, the Pulse O2 tracks users' activity, sleep, and heart rate, and also adds the ability to measure blood oxygen level in addition to heart rate.

To promote the long-term use and alleviate the inconvenience of single-purpose wearable’s, the Pulse O2 is designed to be worn a number of ways – whether it’s in a pocket, clipped to a user’s clothing, or worn on the wrist.

Cédric Hutchings, CEO & co-founder of Withings says, “Activity trackers have become very popular among health conscious consumers, but we recognize a responsibility to design devices that are very accessible for a large population to use consistently over the long term. It’s the only way they can have a real impact on health.”

The improved device tracks blood oxygen level, via an optical lens and light on the back of the unit a first for the category of activity trackers. Accurate blood oxygen readings can be critical for mountain climbers, athletes, and people with breathing problems like asthma and other COPDs.

According to Hutchings, “People are done with raw graphics! They want some kind of interpretation and, most importantly, some realistic call to action.”

Along with the introduction of Pulse O2, Withings also released a major update to the Health Mate app featuring real- time coaching that turns the data from Withings devices into actionable advice.

The web and mobile application have been revamped to provide real-time coaching toward the user’s health objectives. Smart Insights help point out users’ progress, Healthy Reminders help them adopt the right habits, Virtual Badges provide rewards, and Leaderboards add a competitive element to staying healthy.

New automatic background synchronization via Bluetooth Low Energy and wake-up recognition also contribute to Pulse O2’s ease of use.