Kuo: slimmer-bezeled Series 4 watches to support EKG, have ceramic back

In terms of health tracking, a fourth-generation Apple Watch has been predicted to support electrocardiography (EKG) capabilities that may presumably permit the user to take reliable, accurate readings of the electrical activity of their heart over a period of time.

EKG should not be confused with the Apple Watch heart sensor that measures how many times your heart beats per minute. A typical EKG reading includes information about the structure of your heart and the function of its electrical conduction system.

Among other things, an EKG can measure the rate and rhythm of heartbeats, the size and position of the heart chambers, the presence of any damage to the heart’s muscle cells or conduction system, the effects of cardiac drugs and more.

The main supplier of an ECG part will be LED design firm Osram, Kuo added in his research note to clients which was published today after being subsequently obtained by MacRumors.

Apple Watch can currently measure your heart rate.

It does so by using a pair of LED diodes that help monitor oxygen saturation in your blood stream. Contrast this with a professional EKG device that typically requires that a bunch of electrodes be placed all over your skin. It will be interesting seeing if Kuo’s proposed EKG feature will be realized and where and how the sensor might be implemented on the watch.

Moreover, Apple Watch Series 4 would use ceramic backs on all models, the analyst has said.

While Edition models sport ceramic backs, all aluminum and GPS models currently use composite glass. Changing from composite glass material to ceramic would result in a more eye-catching look while improving sturdiness of the crystal that houses a heart rate sensor.

Tentatively called “Apple Watch Series 4,” the device should have other improvements, like a larger display with rounder corners, a crisper screen (with a pixel count higher than that of the original iPhone), solid-state buttons, way more complex watch faces and who knows what else.

Your two cents on EKG capabilities for Series 4?