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How the Apple Watch defined modern health tech

by | Apr 3, 2026

Apple Watch Series 4 on a rainbow gradient background.

In my humble opinion, the Series 4 was a watershed moment in wearable tech history. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

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You can trace the state of health tech today to a single gadget: the Apple Watch Series 4.

Back in 2018, smartwatches and fitness bands focused on a handful of things: step count, heart rate, some light sleep monitoring, and activity logging. As a result, they were much more focused on fitness rather than overall health. Handy if you were trying to increase activity levels or lose a few pounds, but not a device th …

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