Apple Watch Series 8 might not have a physique temperature sensor in any case

If you have been hoping for extra thrilling updates with the Apple Watch Series 8, you might need to start out tempering expectations. While it was initially thought that the next-generation watch would have a physique temperature sensor, it’s wanting like that might not be the case in any case.

A physique temperature sensor for the Series 8 has been closely rumored for a while now. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — who has a fairly good observe document relating to Apple rumors — first hinted a body temperature sensor was coming in June. That was echoed by The Wall Street Journal in September for a potential fertility feature. Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo additionally predicted a body temperature sensor that very same month. All in all, there have been a number of stable causes to imagine this was within the pipeline.

However, in his newest Power On newsletter, Gurman has backtracked. When talking in regards to the Series 8’s potential for physique temperature sensing, blood glucose monitoring, and blood strain capabilities, Gurman wrote, “Don’t expect any of these soon, though. Body temperature was on this year’s roadmap, but chatter about it has slowed down recently. 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.”

For blood strain and blood glucose, this makes a variety of sense. While there’s been a variety of headway in noninvasive, cuffless blood strain monitoring in wearables, the expertise merely isn’t there but. The similar applies to blood glucose monitoring. Although the function was rumored for the Series 7 and in Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4, it by no means materialized. The tech does exist in a nascent type — a prototype from Japanese startup Quantum Operation was featured at CES 2021 — but it surely’s nowhere close to prepared for consumer-grade gadgets. Of the rumored options, physique temperature sensors appeared most definitely as they’re already obtainable in a number of different shopper wearables, together with these from rivals like Fitbit. In truth, physique temperature sensors in wearables gained a variety of consideration in 2020, when researchers used them to attempt to decide whether or not smartwatches might detect COVID-19.

Currently, physique temperature sensors are largely used for sleep and restoration monitoring, although fertility wearables like Ava may additionally function them. While Apple has added sleep and interval monitoring previously few years, they’re on the less complicated aspect. Adding a physique temperature sensor would probably assist stage up these explicit options, particularly if the corporate is planning on including fertility-related options as reported by The Wall Street Journal. However, Apple is infamous for sitting on options different machine makers have already carried out till it’s pleased with its personal model.

“Chatter slowing down,” as Gurman places it, doesn’t imply a physique temperature function is totally useless. However, it does convey up one other level: maybe it’s unrealistic to count on Apple to introduce a brand new groundbreaking, industry-leading function yearly on its smartwatch. It’s true that for the reason that Series 3, Apple has outpaced the competitors when it got here to superior smartwatch capabilities. The Series 3 launched mobile, the Series 4 modified the design and added FDA-cleared EKGs, the Series 5 added an always-on show, and the Series 6 added a SpO2 (blood oxygen) sensor. However, the additions have been much less buzz-worthy beginning with the Series 6. Not solely have SpO2 sensors been on smartwatches since 2017, however the Series 7’s marquee function was additionally only a bigger display.

Right now, the Apple Watch is the most popular smartwatch on the market, and Apple has a yearslong lead on the competitors. Wear OS watches are amid an advanced transition to a brand new unified platform with Samsung. Fitbit and Garmin might have superior well being options and higher battery, however they each lag in sensible options like mobile connectivity. Samsung comes closest, however a lot of its well being and health options aren’t fairly as polished. Technically talking, there’s no want for Apple in the mean time to dramatically shake issues up within the brief time period — particularly because it’s already investing sources in additional groundbreaking well being analysis.

Advanced well being options, particularly nascent ones like noninvasive blood strain and blood glucose, will take some time earlier than they’re prepared for shopper use. And even when they’re “ready,” they’ll most likely must undergo the FDA clearance course of. In the meantime, it’s greater than doubtless that future Apple Watch updates will focus extra on design, incremental {hardware} upgrades, and software program updates that make use of present sensors. Case in level: Gurman also forecasted the Series 8 would see a rugged sports activities model and a brand new entry-level mannequin. That mentioned, maybe we’d all quiet down if Apple might lastly work out the way to embody multiday battery life.