How the Apple Watch defined modern health tech

April 3, 2026 Victoria Song

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

This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent every Friday from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they're going to change your life. Opt in for Optimizer here.

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 …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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