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Apple Confirms #TattooGate Problem is Real

It looks like there is some truth to #Tattoogate.
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/ Source: NBC News

It looks like there is some truth to #Tattoogate. After the Apple Watch was shipped to consumers, some wearers with tattoos covering their wrists complained that the device's heart rate sensor wasn't working properly. That includes an inked-up reporter from Reuters, who claimed his Apple Watch didn't send him "the soft pings that alert a user to incoming messages" and gave him "significantly different" heart sensor readings on his tattooed wrist. Like #Bendgate, when users complained about the iPhone 6 Plus bending in their pockets, #Tattoogate gained traction on social media. Apparently, it's not just a hoax to gain attention on Twitter. While Apple did not respond to NBC News' request for comment, it did update its Apple Watch support page to address the problem:

Permanent or temporary changes to your skin, such as some tattoos, can also impact heart rate sensor performance. The ink, pattern, and saturation of some tattoos can block light from the sensor, making it difficult to get reliable readings.

This is not a unique problem. Several other smartwatches and wristbands have the same issue. Apple, however, probably isn't too worried. Despite #Bendgate, it sold 61.17 million iPhones over the last fiscal quarter.

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— Keith Wagstaff