Applewatch’s discrimination on tattooed and dark skinned bodies
Applewatch sensor problems are yet to be fixed.
Apple has said some of the functions on its new smartwatch may not work properly when it is worn over tattoos, as the saturation and ink pattern of some of the tattoos can block light and confuse the sensor making it difficult to get reliable readings. The watch uses green LED lights in tandem with light-sensitive photodiode sensors to detect the amount of blood flowing through the wrist, which can be used to calculate the heart rate. The watch also locks on tattooed skin and does not deliver the soft pings that alert a user to incoming messages.
Darker-coloured tattoos can fool the light sensors on the back of the watch. The problem is not exclusive to the Apple Watch, which performed well in independent tests. But it does show the manufacturer has not solved the sensor problem.
Apple Watch does not like dark-coloured tattoos
The problem is not unique to the Apple Watch as several other smart watches and wearable fitness devices that use similar sensor technology have also been reported to struggle when worn on darker coloured skin. The amount of light reflected back from deeper-coloured pigmentation of the skin is less than the device is calibrated for.
The technology in Apple’s watch does not appear to be of a low standard. It performed well in independent tests against leading heart rate monitors, according to consumer reports.
The repair site ifixit.com has taken apart the Apple Watch and reported that its heart rate monitor system is actually Plethysmograph, a more advanced than most, offering potential functions that Apple is not currently promoting. It looks and acts like a pulse oximeter, but Apple isn’t claiming it can measure your blood oxygen level, as it may involve FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] regulations.”
“Apple now needs to offer users the option to disable the pin code security when the smart watch doesn’t detect your wrist.
The following conversation from an help desk
But I have a wrist tattoo! Can I not use the Apple Watch?
Don’t panic just yet. We’re looking into this issue, and will report back when we have more information.
In the meantime, if you have a wrist tattoo that extends to where you’d normally wear a watch, I suggest trying on a working unit to get a sense of whether your tattoo and the Watch interfere or not. We’ll point out that Apple offers a 14-day return policy, which allows you to spend a fair amount of time wearing and testing the Watch.)
For those who have issues with their wrists and still wish to use the Apple Watch, you can turn off Wrist Detection in the Apple Watch app to avoid the device auto-locking; unfortunately, that will also disable Apple Pay from use. Alternatively, you might try wearing it on a non-tattooed wrist.
“The winning wearable tech in the next few years will be the devices that work with our bodies, not the ones that ignore them.”