Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

iPhone owners jealous of Galaxy S5’s heart rate monitor can add the same feature with a $2 app

Published Feb 25th, 2014 12:50PM EST
iPhone Heart Rate Monitor

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 might not have been the exciting new flagship phone we were hoping for, but there’s no question that it’s one of the best smartphones that has ever been made. It bests its predecessor in almost every way and it brings a number of useful new features to the table. Our favorite thus far is likely the new battery saving mode that allows the Galaxy S5 to last for 24 hours on a 10% charge, and another high-profile addition is the new heart rate monitor on the back of the device. As it turns out, however, it looks like Samsung didn’t need a dedicated sensor to monitor heart rates — iPhone owners envious of the new feature can add it to their current handsets with no modifications beyond the purchase of a $2 app.

As pointed out by 9to5Mac, there are a number of apps in Apple’s iOS App Store that claim to be able to read a user’s heart rate by simply using the device’s built-in camera. One such app is called simply “Heart Rate Monitor,” and it can be had for just $1.99.

Compatible with the iPhone 5s and earlier models, Heart Rate Monitor allows users to place their finger over the rear camera on the iPhone for a pulse reading. The app is reportedly quite accurate just like the Galaxy S5, and it stores historical readings for reference.

Another similar app that reportedly works well is Instant Heart Rate, which is also $1.99 in the App Store.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.