Pixel Watch 3: Google Confirms Unique Feature Apple Watch Doesn’t Match

Smartwatches are admirably suitable for fitness and health because they’re on your person all day long, quietly recording data in the background. And a new feature that’s unique to the Google Pixel Watch 3, could be a life-saver: Loss of Pulse Detection.

When Apple introduced notifications for unusually high or low heart rate, it provided a way to catch extreme heart incidents for those who suffered them and peace of mind for everyone else.

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Then there was Fall Detection so if you take a heavy fall and can’t move, the Apple Watch can notify emergency services, as well as sounding alarms to alert people around you.

Along those lines is Loss of Pulse Detection. The new Google Pixel Watch 3, which comes in two sizes, uses the heart rate sensor and other sensors such as the motion sensor on board to spot if your pulse disappears. This could mean you’re experiencing cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, overdose or poisoning, among other situations.

Google has caveats for the feature, saying, “Loss of Pulse Detection may not detect every instance of a loss of pulse and is not intended for users with pre existing heart conditions or those who require cardiac monitoring. It does not diagnose or treat any medical condition or provide follow-up care.”

Even so, there’s no doubt how useful this could be. Google also says, “Many loss of pulse incidents happen when the person is alone, leaving them with effectively no chance of receiving resuscitation. Loss of Pulse Detection on Pixel Watch 3 can detect loss of pulse and automatically place a call to emergency services, potentially saving lives.”

If the Pixel Watch 3 spots something is awry it will prompt you to ask if you’re okay while looking for motion. It can then launch an audio alarm and start a countdown. From here it can place a call to emergency services.

Unusually, it’s not launching first in the U.S. As Mark Gurman pointed out on X, “Google’s new Pixel Watch has “loss of pulse” detection where it’ll auto call emergency services if your heart rate drops to 0 or a life threatening level. Now here’s an unexpected catch: launches first in the European Union (and U.K.).”

This is a strikingly imaginative use of the watch’s sensors. Expect stories of lives saved to appear in the coming months.

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