Apple Watch Series 8 could miss body temp target
One of the key new features of the Apple Watch Series 8 is body temperature tracking, but it could be delayed, or miss the launch altogether, according to a key analyst.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a tech analyst from Taiwan, has tweeted that body temperature tracking arriving on the Series 8 was dependent on Apple getting its algorithms to deliver the accuracy it demands.
“The challenge in implementing precise body temperature measurement is that skin temperature quickly varies depending on outside environments,” Ming-Chi Kuo wrote.
Previous rumors have pointed to the addition of a body temperature sensor, although the scope of this sensor would be limited.
We reported that Apple was focusing on mensural cycle tracking and fertility features using its temperature tracking, but users wouldn’t be able to access the temperature readings, or use the sensor as a wellness indicator – as we’ve seen on Fitbit and Whoop devices.
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Apple canceled body temperature measurement for Apple Watch 7 because the algorithm failed to qualify before entering EVT stage last year. I believe Apple Watch 8 in 2H22 could take body temperature if the algorithm can meet Apple’s high requirements before mass production.
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) May 1, 2022
Apple has never rushed to match the competition in terms of health and body sensors. It only added SpO2 tracking to the Series 6 – several years behind its rivals. Fitbit has used body temperature tracking as part of its Health Metrics Dashboard, and Whoop 4.0 also uses the metric on its Health Monitor system.
However, it doesn’t seem Apple is alone in struggling to implement the sensor. Ming-Chi Kuo also tweeted that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 “might not support the body temperature measurement due to algorithm limitations.”
Apple will be keen to get body temperature rolled out to the Series 8. The Apple Watch Series 7 brought about a change in screen tech, but in terms of new features, it was an incremental update. There’s very little chance of the hardware changing dramatically on the next gen smartwatch, so there will be pressure on Apple to offer a tangible new feature.
All eyes have been on blood pressure and blood glucose tracking, although recent analysis shows these could be years off. Estimates put blood pressure tracking at 2024 (Apple Watch Series 10) and there’s no ETA for blood glucose at all.
That’s despite Rockley Photonics, an Apple Watch supplier, revealing in a Wareable interview that its sensor tech could bring these features to consumers in 2023.
But as we can see from its body temperature tracking, Apple takes its time over implementation.
