Alex Webb, reporting for Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. is developing an advanced heart-monitoring feature for future versions of its smartwatch, part of a broader push by the company to turn what was once a luxury fashion accessory into a serious medical device, according to people familiar with the plan.

A version being tested requires users to squeeze the frame of the Apple Watch with two fingers from the hand that’s not wearing the device, one of the people said. It then passes an imperceptible current across the person’s chest to track electrical signals in the heart and detect any abnormalities like irregular heart rates.

The Apple Watch is poised to make a much larger impact on society than any of us could have imagined. Based on the progress it’s made since the device was first launched in 2015, I can’t wait to see what the Watch is capable after another few years.