The world’s first swimming app just debuted on the Apple Watch. The new app was designed for heart rate monitoring, timing and lapping for swimmers. The app’s developers tested the app on each model with four full lengths in the London Aquatic Center’s 50-meter pool.
Apple Watch goes for a swim test
The test was a success, as it showed the Apple Watch mirroring Pebble’s four-lap swim. The Apple Watch also proved it could successfully measure heart rate. The swimmer’s heart rate rose from the initial 88bpm to 138bpm right after the test finished.
The one significant downside to the app on the Apple Watch is the fact that it lags upon being awoken for the lap time checkup. According to the app’s developers, the app only collects information when the screen is awake. It takes just mere seconds to gather information and display it on the screen. Beyond all of that, the other swimming data isn’t locked into the app. Heart rate and workout information are delivered to HealthKit while adding the user’s daily exercise goals.
The future of the swimming app
When Apple debuted its smartwatch earlier this year, the tech giant did its best to downplay the watch’s waterproof capabilities to prevent users from damaging the device. The app’s creators have high hopes for the new app. Here is what the company had to say about it:
“We really hope that Apple see [sic] the demand for an official, fully waterproofed Apple Watch. Once that is available, we’ll be able to ship a fully featured swimming app. In the mean time, it would be great to see swimming become a first class citizen in the Apple Health and Activities apps. Running and cycling both have their own distance graphs you can view in the dashboard whilst for swimming you have to drill down to individual workouts.”
The Apple Watch may have a promising future for active swimmers.
