While many users and Apple fans are excited about the new upcoming Apple Watch, things seem to have changed with the product since it was originally announced during the 2014 Apple keynote.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Apple had withdrawn a number of features from the Apple Watch, specifically the health-monitoring components. Anonymous sources told the WSJ that the features were too complicated and required an unnecessary amount of regulation
According to the sources, the components required for the smartwatch to track various health factors didn't hold up to the regulatory standards and didn't account for inconsistencies like hairy arms or dry skin. Also, the tools used to track things like blood/oxygen level or blood pressure were proven to be inconsistent.
Even if the components didn't present an inaccurate image of the body, they would require the FDA to regulate and manage the device. In order to avoid this regulation, Apple decided to incorporate more "vanilla" devices into the watch in order to avoid unnecessary levels of regulation.
All of this occurred after Tim Cook made the claim that the Apple Watch could help users avoid cancer.
Apple has already ordered 5 to 6 million Apple Watches for the upcoming release in April. Most analysts expect the device to do well on the market, though the lack of health components may place a large damper on the sales numbers.
