Google brings lifesaving feature that detects if your pulse has stopped to Pixel Watch 3 in US

Smartwatches seem to quite often hit the headlines for their lifesaving potential, and Google has just announced the arrival of a feature for its Pixel Watch 3 in the US along these lines.

Yes, the 'Loss of Pulse Detection' functionality - launched last year in the EU - has finally come to watches in the US. It does pretty much what it says on the tin: if the watch fails to detect any pulse at all, it can take action to get the wearer help.

Google tells us:

"This first-of-its-kind feature can detect when you've experienced a loss of pulse (your heart stops beating from an event like primary cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose or poisoning) and automatically prompt a call to emergency services for potentially lifesaving care if you're unresponsive."

If you check out the above illustrative video clip, you'll see how it works. Basically, if the Pixel Watch 3 doesn't detect a pulse, and you don't respond to the device to indicate you're okay within 20 seconds, then it'll place a call for help.

Google has only just got clearance from the FDA for the feature to go live in the US, so Pixel Watch 3 owning Americans will see the rollout of this pulse detection capability from the end of March.

As noted, the feature has already arrived for those in the EU, and actually did so last year, with it being available in some 14 countries already. However, that approval processor and ratification from the Food and Drug Administration has taken a while for the US market.