Evaluating the Reliability of SpO₂ and BPM Readings in Commercial Smartwatches Compared to a Standard Oximeter
Downloads
The advancement of wearable technology has enabled commercial smartwatches to monitor vital health parameters such as blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and heart rate (BPM). This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of SpO₂ and BPM readings from three commercial smartwatches: Realme C2 Pro, Oraimo 2 Plus OSW-32N, and Haylou LS02 Pro by comparing them to a standard medical-grade oximeter (Beurer PO40). A total of 34 participants were recruited, representing a range of skin tones identified using the Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale (Types I–V). Statistical analyses, including Pearson’s correlation and Bland-Altman plots, were used to assess the relationship and agreement between devices. Results showed that the Realme C2 Pro provided the highest accuracy, with 99.58% for SpO₂ and 98.515% for BPM, while the Haylou LS02 Pro showed the lowest accuracy at 99.24% for SpO₂ and 97.29% for BPM. Bland-Altman analysis revealed small biases and narrow limits of agreement, indicating that the smartwatches produced readings closely aligned with those of the medical device. Despite minor discrepancies, all smartwatches demonstrated strong potential for health monitoring applications. The discussion highlights factors influencing measurement accuracy, including sensor quality, algorithm performance, and user-specific variables such as skin tone. These findings support the role of smartwatches as accessible tools for early health detection and continuous monitoring. Although not intended to replace clinical instruments, properly optimized smartwatches can complement healthcare systems by enabling timely interventions and enhancing disease management.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kusnanto Mukti Wibowo, S.Si., M.Eng., Royan, M.T., Abdul Latif, S.T., M.Eng., Fani Susanto, S.Tr. Rad., M.Tr.Kes., Fatiatun, M.Sc., Rudi Irmawanto, S.T., M.Eng., Norhidayah Che Ani (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlikel 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
