Google’s Pixel smartphones are widely popular and known for its photography capabilities. The search engine giant offers flagship as well as mid-range devices. Now Google is adding an interesting new update to its Fit app that will turn Pixel devices into advanced health tools.
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In a blog post, Google added that two vital health tracking metrics can be measured with the help of the camera on Pixel smartphones. The company cautioned that the measurements aren’t meant for medical diagnosis and instead useful for people using Google Fit app to keep track of their day-to-day health.
Google adds the ability to track heart and breathing rates on Pixel smartphones
Google’s Fit app already uses smartphone sensors to track step counts and how many calories they have burned. The new update to the app will let Pixel users track their heart rate as well as respiratory rate. Both will rely on the smartphone’s camera.
Heart rate can be measured by placing the user’s fingertip on the rear-facing camera lens. Google explained in a blog post that the heartbeat is based on how skin colour changes as blood is being pumped. The respiratory rate is measured by placing the user’s head and torso in view of the phone’s front-facing camera and breath as they normally would. Measurements can be saved in the app to monitor trends over time.
Google said that it completed initial clinical studies to validate the new features coming to Google Fit. The feature is set to be available to Pixel users starting next month. The search engine giant also plans to add the heart and respiratory tracking capabilities to more Android devices.
The new feature by Google will be helpful for smartphone owners who want to track heart-related metrics without using a wearable device like fitness trackers or smartwatches.