According to well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple canceled plans to add a body temperature sensor to the Apple Watch Series 7, but the feature may appear in the Apple Watch Series 8.
In a series of tweets, Ming-Chi Kuo explained that Apple originally intended to offer body temperature measurement in the Apple Watch Series 7 models, but the body temperature algorithm developed by the company failed to meet the requirements before the device entered the Engineering Validation Test (EVT) stage last year, So the plan was shelved.
He believes the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 could feature body temperature monitoring, provided “the algorithm can meet Apple ‘s high requirements before mass production.”
Apple’s problems with body temperature measurement are said to be related to rapid changes in skin temperature based on the environment, and since smartwatches can’t use hardware to monitor core body temperature, the feature relies heavily on algorithms that produce accurate results.
Samsung has encountered similar challenges in body temperature measurement, and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 may not be equipped with body temperature monitoring due to the limitations of the algorithm.
Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have both discussed how the 2022 Apple Watch might offer body temperature monitoring, but rumors about the feature have cooled significantly in recent times. Analysts’ comments today seem to cast further doubt on whether the feature will actually arrive on the Apple Watch Series 8 later this year.