The Apple Watch 7 and Apple Watch SE 2 may debut alongside the iPhone 13 on September 14, but we just heard a new rumor about what to expect from the 2022 smartwatch.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple Watch 8 will come with new health management features, the highlight being a body temperature sensor.
This is something we have heard from other sources in the past, but Kuo’s certainty, given that he is often accurate with these types of stories, leads us to believe that this may be happening on the 2022 device.
Previous patent documents have suggested that Apple has been working on this as a project since 2019, or perhaps even earlier, and some of the patents show that this sensor measures its temperature through skin contact.
It’s unclear if this would be a heart rate sensor element on the back of the watch or somewhere else on the device that you can touch. Other patents have suggested features that would not require you to touch the device, but it is unclear to what extent it is in development.
There’s no guarantee that any of these body-measuring features will be ready for the Apple Watch 8, but it may be something you want to look forward to if the reveal of the Apple Watch 7 next week doesn’t get you excited.
The back of the Apple Watch 6 (Image credit: TechRadar)
Analysis: why would it be useful?
A body temperature monitor won’t be of use to everyone, but there are a few use case scenarios that would make it a worthwhile upgrade from Apple.
The most important for some at this time is being able to monitor your body temperature as a symptom of whether you may have Covid-19. Body temperature is an indicator you can use to see if you may need to do a more official test for the virus.
This can also help with a variety of illnesses down the road, such as the common cold or the flu.
It can also give you a signal as to whether you are fit to train. If you’re feeling a bit of bad weather, you might want to monitor your body temperature to see if it’s a good idea to go for a run or a swim.
Body temperature measurement is unlikely to be a must-have feature for most, but in some small scenarios, this may be an upgrade that would make the Apple Watch one of the best ways to monitor your health.
Via AppleInsider
–
