The upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 will reportedly come with a body temperature sensor that can tell if you have a fever, according to a report by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. Rather than giving you an accurate reading, Gurman believes the watch should be able to detect a spike in body temperature and then encourage you to talk to a doctor or use a thermometer.
Gurman says the body temperature sensor still needs to pass internal testing, and if it does, Apple is expected to include the feature in the Watch Series 8, as well as a rumored “rugged” smartwatch for extreme sports athletes. However, the upcoming base Apple Watch SE likely won’t have the sensor.
Rumors of a body temperature sensor have been floating around for over a year
Rumors of a new body temperature sensor have been circulating for over a year. Gurman first hinted at the possibility in June 2021 and later retracted his prediction in January of this year. He then reversed course again in April, noting that we can expect a body temperature sensor “as soon as this year.” Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also believes the sensor will make its debut later this year.
Previous reports from Gurman and The Wall Street Journal show that the body temperature sensor could also be used to track fertility — changes in body temperature can help someone determine when they’re more likely to get pregnant or predict when they will become pregnant their period. Gurman only mentioned fever detection in his latest report, so it’s still unclear how (or if) Apple plans to add cycle tracking capabilities.
Aside from the body temperature sensor, Gurman says that any other changes to the Apple Watch’s hardware are “likely to be minor,” and also hints at the possibility of an improved display in higher-end models. Gurman predicted last week that the Series 8 processor will have the same level of performance as the previous S7 and S6 chips — we probably won’t see an upgrade until 2023. As for health-tracking features in other upcoming devices, Gurman says the new AirPods model The Pro, rumored to be focused on fitness, likely won’t arrive with temperature or heart rate detection this year.
Add Comment