Apple Watch Users Are Strapping Them To Their Ankles — Here's Why Its Leaving Some People Bewildered

A new trend has emerged among Apple Inc. AAPL Watch users, who are now wearing the device on their ankles.

What Happened: Fitness enthusiasts like Ana Espinal have adopted this practice to improve heart rate monitoring, especially for those with smaller wrists, reported the New York Times.

Others, such as Shaniece Gale, a medical assistant from Ontario, have embraced this method for practical reasons. After giving birth, Gale found it challenging to track her steps while pushing a stroller.

By wearing the watch on her ankle, she could accurately monitor her activity without tiring her arms, the report noted.

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Despite the benefits, the trend has led to misunderstandings. Espinal recounted an incident at the gym where someone mistook her ankle-worn watch for an ankle monitor.

Apple notes in support materials that key Watch features are designed and tested for wrist use only. The watch, for instance, uses LED lights and semiconductors to measure blood flow through the wrist.

Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments.

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Why It Matters: The trend of wearing Apple Watches on ankles comes at a time when the company is facing increased competition in the wearables market.

Last year it was reported that Chinese tech giants like Huawei Technologies are making significant strides, with a 20% surge in the global wrist-worn device market.

Apple’s first-quarter earnings showed revenue of $124.3 billion, exceeding analyst estimates of $124.13 billion. Revenue from Wearables, Home, and Accessories reached $11.75 billion, slightly lower than last year’s $11.95 billion.

Price Action: Apple’s stock fell 2.40% on Friday, closing at $227.63. After hours, it edged down 0.17% to $227.25, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.