sciencetech-blog

comments

Tech pundits are raising questions over whether the highly-touted heart sensor that is a major feature on the new Apple Watch will effectively work on people whose skin is not white.

The smart watch technology has already been doubted when worn over tattoos, with multiple users reporting problems as soon as the device launched on April 24.

Speculation has now turned to whether skin color that is darker or off-white will cause similar difficulties.

Sensors on the back of Apple Watch wrist wear use LED light to detect blood flow and track heart rates of wearers to provide information such as calories burned or workout intensity.  

Test-run: Tech experts are questioning whether the light sensors on the back of the new Apple Watch will be affected by skin color, after multiple user's with tattoos reported problems with the device

Issue: It appears that the pigmented ink of some tattoos - and possibly darker skin color - affects the watch's sensor's (illustrated) ability to read an individual's heart rate

The issue now is whether the sensor will be affected by skin color.

'The light has to penetrate through several layers … and so the higher the person is on the (a measure of skin tone), the more difficult it is for light to bounce back,' the COO of  Basis, Bharat Vasan, told CNET.

Tech website Fusion reported that people with darker skin will likely need a stronger light on their sensor, which carries its own problems.

'Using optical technology to measure heart rate might also mean that people with darker skin will experience a greater drain on their watch battery, because of the more intense light required to power the sensor,' the site noted.

However USA Today conducted a test on the product using people on the street, and determined the watch worked fine regardless of skin color.

Dave Walker of Troy, Mich., who is African American, said his Apple Watch works fine, including the heart rate monitor. 

'It's obvious to me, and I'm by no means an expert in the field, that tattoo ink is very different from skin pigment,' he told the network.

'I'm not sure why people are confused by that. I really think this one is really, really overblown.' 

Out now: The new Apple watches are seen on display here in New York after their release on April 24, 2015

Picking it apart: User's with hand and arm tattoos claim the sensors on the back of the Apple Watch aren't working as well for them. Now the effectiveness of the watch on people with dark skin has been doubted

The issue with tattoos became so big on social media it was referred to as 'tattoogate'. 

After release of the Apple Watch last week, some users went online with tales of the gadgets acting oddly when adorning tattooed wrists.

Applications misfired or stopped working when Apple Watch heart rate sensors had trouble with darkly tattooed skin, some users lamented.

'Many factors can affect the performance of the Apple Watch heart rate sensor,' the California firm said on a support page.

Those factors included how much blood flows through a person's skin as well as whether movements are rhythmic, as when running, or irregular, as when playing tennis, according to Apple.

'Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance,' Apple said.

iSmash! Apple Watch spectacularly fails drop test