Five Apple Watch models are able to measure your blood pressure in order to generate alerts for possible hypertension. However, they do not provide your actual blood pressure readings.
A few smart rings and other fitness devices do so, but rely on regular calibration with a traditional cuff monitor. The upcoming Signal Ring says that it delivers full blood pressure measurements without any calibration, and that a trial of thousands of people backs the claim …
Both abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) can pose significant health risks.
Of the two, hypertension is the most dangerous, referred to as a “silent killer” because It can result in severe and irreversible damage to your arteries, heart and brain without any noticeable symptoms. The condition often isn’t discovered until it causes a heart attack or stroke.
For older people in particular, it’s good to monitor your blood pressure regularly, and you can buy home cuffs enabling you to do this. However, fully automatic monitoring via a fitness device you already wear would obviously be the ideal.
The introduction of watchOS 26 enables five Apple Watch models to measure blood pressure:
However, these don’t give you any readings, but rather send you an alert if they detect signs of potential hypertension. Other devices like the Oura Ring work in a similar way.
There are fitness devices which do provide actual blood pressure readings, but they rely on being regularly calibrated against a reading taken with a blood pressure cuff.
There’s a new smart ring: the Signal Ring, and its focus is entirely on taking your blood pressure and giving you actual systolic and diastolic readings, which makes it different than Apple and Oura. @chriswelch takes a deep look. https://t.co/LiqWm28On4
Startup Vital Signals says it has now developed a smart ring that can measure blood pressure as accurately as a traditional arm cuff without the need for any calibration: the Signal Ring.
Bloomberg reports that its CEO, Tom Moss, said he founded the company after he almost died from undiagnosed hypertension.
“Fundamentally, there’s almost no real way for you to truly know your blood pressure as a consumer, and it’s kind of crazy,” said Moss, who previously worked at drone maker Skydio Inc. and hardware manufacturers Razer Inc. and Nextbit Systems before his health scare inspired a move into health.
The ring goes on pre-sale later today for delivery in October, priced at $399. No subscription is required. Both live blood pressure readings and tracking over time are displayed in a companion app (shown above).
It’s worth noting that the Oura Ring doesn’t yet have clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration, but clinical trials show that it produced accurate blood pressure readings for thousands of participants.
Interestingly, Moss isn’t trying to sell the ring to everyone. He says the specialist capabilities are best suited to older people and those who have been advised by their doctor that they are at risk of hypertension, implying that the Signal Ring falls short in other areas, like sleep tracking.
For younger, less-at-risk individuals or anyone confident their blood pressure is healthy, he has other advice: “Just buy an Oura or an Apple Watch.”
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Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!
