Unlike rivals Apple and Samsung, Google's only recent foray into smartwatches and wellness is gaining ground with new features that could potentially save lives

When the Pixel Watch 3 was unveiled at the Made by Google event, the company announced that its latest smartwatch would include pulse loss detection

Loss of pulse is a way to indicate a health emergency where the heart is not functioning properly Loss of pulse can be caused by a myriad of dangerous health events, but common ones include cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, circulatory failure, and overdose

According to Google, when the watch detects the loss of pulse, an alert with a timer is sent and the wearer must respond If the timer runs out without a response, an automated voice message with location information is sent to emergency services

Google carefully states that this feature does not detect all instances of loss of pulse and is not built for specific health events He also states that this feature is “not intended for people with pre-existing heart conditions or those who need cardiac monitoring”