AliveCor stops selling its Kardia Band ECG band for Apple Watch
AliveCor has quietly stopped selling its Kardia Band that let Apple Watch owners take ECG readings from the wrist.
The medical grade heart monitoring strap has disappeared from the company’s own website and is listed as unavailable if you search for the device on Amazon.Essential reading: A guide to ECG on your Apple WatchIts disappearance was spotted by Mobi Health News, and AliveCor confirmed in a statement to the site that it’s now decided to focus on its smartphone-based devices and other projects.The statement confirmed that support for existing users of the Kardia Band would continue indefinitely. What that means isn’t entirely clear, but it looks like you might be okay for the short term.
It’s perhaps not the biggest surprise to hear that the startup is ditching its Band after the Apple Watch Series 4 was unveiled last year with a built-in ECG to offer those serious heart health insights. The band did work on older Watch models, so it will be disappointing for those who hadn’t upgraded to the Series 4, but still wanted access to that data.
The decision to halt sales shouldn’t take away from the fact that AliveCor’s Apple Watch add-on was a major breakthrough in bringing serious health monitoring to the wrist. First launched back in 2017, the Kardia Band was the first FDA-cleared accessory approved to monitor heart health from Apple’s smartwatch.
During that time it has continued to explore how its tech and software can make other major breakthroughs and recently revealed details of an extensive investigation on tracking hyperkalemia through ECG.
While AliveCor has taken the decision to stop selling its Apple Watch band, it still believes that wearables have a role to play in the future of health monitoring. We are sure this won’t be the last we hear from the innovative health tech startup.
