The Apple Watch spO 2 sensor and outliers in healthy users

It is unclear how frequently the Apple Watch produces spO 2 measurements outside of the normal range in healthy individuals at rest. We conducted a head-to-head comparison in 38 healthy individuals between two watches and two medical-grade pulse oximeters. Fourteen percent of watch measurements yielded spO 2 values below 95%, with no values below 92%. Results suggest that outliers measured by the watch should not be a cause for concern in otherwise healthy individuals.