While I can appreciate the reduction in cost likely was a factor, I wouldn't doubt that the environmental aspect was also a genuine concern.
Their ideal customer is somebody who upgrades devices frequently and then participates in the trade-in programs, but the adapters and such are not part of those trade-ins. So if you get a new phone every year for 4 years, you have 4 adapters. It's not a far stretch to imagine that their own employees said "You know, this feels wasteful" and management said "Hmmm not only is it an environmental problem, but we could also reduce costs."
But it's impossible to say for sure from an outside view.
Another factor is the EU slowly closing down on their loopholes for nonstandard chargers. They are probably trying to minimize costs in preparation for the eventual reckoning (i.e. which production and packaging chains will have to be modified).
Reduce, reuse and recycle.
My wife has Series 3 and I have Series 5, but I haven't seen a major difference between the two. Series 5 is slightly sleeker and smaller, but the updates didn't feel important enough for her to upgrade.
I know sometimes something in the software update can glitch and cause aggressive battery consumption. I wonder if you were affected by something like that (which is something they should address to prevent from happening in the future).
My expectation is each time the chip will be more efficient, but they can choose to use that on a brighter screen/more features, or better battery life.
If I recall correctly a finger pulse oximeter requires a sensor below the finger which records the absorption of infrared light.
>Accuracy of Wrist-based Pulse Ox
Pulse Oximetry (Pulse Ox) readings are available for certain Garmin wearables. It can provide an estimation of the user’s peripheral blood oxygen saturation (SpO2%) at any given time the feature is accessed. The feature can also be set to track in a continuous manner during a period while the user is asleep. For certain devices, it can also be used to track periodically throughout the day along with a view of the user’s altitude or elevation.
While every effort is made to ensure a high degree of accuracy, there are certain limitations that can cause inaccurate measurements. The user’s physical characteristics, fit of the device, and presence of ambient light may impact the readings. Garmin may release device software over time to improve aspects of the measurements. The Pulse Ox data is not intended to be used for medical purposes, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
Excessive motion and the position of the device can impact the accuracy of the readings. It is important to keep your arm/sensor still for approximately one minute for best accuracy.
Spoiler alert: You can't.
Power adapters that use a USB connector have been commonly included with a large fraction of consumer devices for at least a decade now. Most of us already have several that we aren't using.
USB power adapters have also been by far the most common when people explicitly purchase a power adapter, such as when they want a higher wattage adapter to charge faster than the basic one that came with some device, or they want to replace a single port adapter with one with multiple ports to better utilize their outlets.
Result: probably 95+% of consumers in the US who would buy an Apple device already have plenty of USB charging ports available.
It's definitely not great for new customers though, and it absolutely should not be $30, but for people like me it's a positive move forward to reduce waste.
Or at their scale does it not really make a difference?
EDIT: nvm lol, forgot that you can just swap out the loops still
Garmin has that, but does it integrate the same way?
So yes features are good, but making them easily usable is also important. Being first isn’t the only thing that matters.
Apple's just coasting at this point. I was considering getting the iPhone 12, but at this point I'm expecting a similar dud launch next month from Apple, so I'd rather give my money to Nvidia for an RTX 3080.
Stop mailing it in Apple.
I've seen patches on the the upper arm that have to be replaced every week or two, sensors that clip on the ear or the skin that stretches between fingers, and things that have to be surgically implanted under the skin, but my understanding is that all of these, even the non-invasive ones, have to be approved by the FDA as medical devices, and come with a pretty substantial legal responsibility.
A blood oxygen sensor helps literally everybody, even the diabetic, while a glucose monitor--assuming it can be made reliable from the wrist--benefits a smaller set. A large set, to be sure, but still a smaller set than "everyone."
I'm certain they're spending large amounts to make it happen, since they could easily double their sales once they roll out that feature.
