The most effective strategy a company can use for its product—especially when aiming to boost sales—is to make users believe it’s essential to their daily lives. Google is clearly embracing this approach with the Pixel Watch 3. This week, the third-generation smartwatch gained approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Loss of Pulse Detection feature, which was introduced alongside the watch but had been inactive until now. Once the feature becomes available next month, the Pixel Watch 3 will be able to automatically call for help if your pulse is lost.
The feature has been available in the E.U. since the smartwatch launched last fall, but this marks its debut in the U.S. The Loss of Pulse Detection feature works exactly as promised: if your heart rate drops to zero, the Pixel Watch 3 enters emergency mode. It triggers a countdown and sounds an alarm. If you don’t respond within seconds, it will automatically contact emergency services, as long as you’ve set it up beforehand with an Android device.
Google states the watch can distinguish between a real cardiac event and simply removing the watch, minimizing false alarms. The company highlights its AI-powered multi-check algorithm, which analyzes patterns in the heart-rate sensor to accurately assess the situation. Google claims it has “rigorously tested” the algorithm with “hundreds of thousands of hours of data” and collaborated with a wide range of experts, including cardiologists and emergency medical professionals, for validation.
I once accidentally triggered the Pixel Watch’s Fall Detection feature, though that was with the previous generation’s hardware. It occurred when my foot slipped down a hill after a bad landing. False positives do happen, but that’s why there’s a brief countdown and alert, giving you a chance to cancel it if needed. Still, expect Google to promote this feature widely, especially since the Apple Watch still doesn’t offer this capability.