The Apple Watch’s sensors need a serious upgrade for 2022
Our take: Apple has taken its finger off the pulse
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A recent leak has hinted that the forthcomingSamsung Galaxy Watch 5could have a temperature sensor. The report fromETNewssuggests that the Korean company could also integrate the tech into the nextSamsung Galaxy Buds, which makes a lot of sense, as the interior of your ear has more consistent blood flow than your wrist.
The Galaxy Watch 5 certainly wouldn’t be the first wearable with a built-in thermometer.Running watcheslike theGarmin Fenix 7andEpix (Gen 2)monitor changes in temperature during a workout, andfitness trackerssuch as theFitbit SenseandCharge 5track your temperature overnight as part of their suite of sleep monitoring tools.
If anything,Samsungis playing catch-up, but there’s one company that’s even further behind when it comes to temperature tracking, and it’s the most popularsmartwatchbrand in the world. Despite its increasing focus on health and wellbeing, we’ve never seen anApple Watchthat’s capable of measuring skin temperature – and that’s strange.
Vital stats
Skin temperature isn’t generally as useful as core temperature (measured using an oral or rectal thermometer), but it’s still very useful, particularly if you’re looking at trends rather than trying to take a spot measurement. Although no official regulator has approved the use of wearables to detect Covid-19,there are various ongoing studiesusing smartwatches and fitness trackers to pick up signs of infection before a person develops symptoms. This could (in theory) allow them to self-isolate early and avoid spreading the illness to others.
Body temperature can also be a good indicator of where you are in your menstrual cycle (if you have one), as it typically rises slightly around ovulation. Some devices, such as theOura (Generation 3)smart ring, use this data to help predict when your period will arrive.
If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, the nocturnal temperature readings taken by a smart ring or watch might reveal that you’re overheating at night, and should take steps to cool your bedroom before settling down. Skin temperature can also be an indicator of stress;studies have shownthat acute stress causes vasoconstriction (the constriction of blood vessels), which leads to a drop in temperature.
It’s tremendously useful data to have at your fingertips, and the technology exists, so why hasApplebeen so slow on the uptake – and will it finally catch up with theApple Watch8? We aren’t holding our breath.
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
Why so slow?
Ahead of its launch last year, it was suggested that theApple Watch 7might be packed with new sensors for monitoringblood pressure,blood glucose, and evenblood alcohol. That turned out to be far from true; in fact, the biggest hardware change was a marginally larger screen that’s a bit tougher to scratch.
It seems like theApple Watch 8might be a similarly modest upgrade, with no new sensors to speak of. Back in January, Bloomberg’s resident Apple expert Mark Gurmanshared his predictions for the year ahead, sprinkled with snippets of insider info – and it made for pretty disappointing reading.
“Body temperature was on this year’s roadmap, but chatter about it has slowed down recently,” Gurman wrote. “Blood pressure is at least two to three years away, while I wouldn’t be surprised if glucose monitoring doesn’t land until later in the second half of the decade.”
To be fair to Apple, it hasn’t suggested that any of these features are due to arrive on our wrists in the near future. Instead, most of the predictions have been based on patents and news from companies that are known to supply it with components.
We can only speculate about why temperature has been taken off the list of priorities, but we suspect it could be due to the lack of precision. As we’ve already mentioned, skin temperature can be affected by all kinds of environmental factors, and is only really useful when viewed as trends over time. Apple may have realized that its customers are likely to want to perform spot checks (as they can with theECG sensor). That’s something that can’t be done accurately from the wrist, so it’s possible that the company decided to skip the sensor for now rather than risk disappointment or confusion.
We’re still keeping our fingers crossed that our suspicions might be unfounded, but it sounds very much like Apple Watch owners might have to wait until at least 2023 before they can track temperature.
Cat is TechRadar’s Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She’s been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she’s a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.
Get the Fitbit Versa 4 for a record-low price at Amazon ahead of Black Friday
The Samsung Galaxy Ring 2 could launch sooner than expected – with new features and a thinner design
Another reason to avoid edge-lit 4K TVs: they may fail faster than others, according to this report
