Andrew Heinzman
Those who are looking for a good reason to upgrade their Apple Watch may need to wait a few years. A new Bloomberg report suggests that blood glucose and body temperature monitoring aren’t coming this year, and that the 2021 Apple Watch lineup offers just a few minor improvements over previous models.
Apple will probably release a Series 7 Watch this year with an upgraded processor, a new display, and ultra-wideband support (likely to improve AirTag tracking and Find My functionality). We may also see a sequel to the affordable Apple Watch SE. Because last year’s SE was like an upgraded version of the Series 4 Watch, the new model may look and feel like the Series 5. Small improvements like ultra-wideband support are expected in the 2021 SE.
While Apple is working on blood sugar and body temperature monitoring, Bloomberg states that these features will not appear in 2021 Apple Watch models. Body temperature sensors could make their way to the 2022 Apple Watch lineup (which may include a rugged “explorer” model), but blood glucose monitoring is “several years away.”
Hopefully Bloomberg’s timeline is off, because glucose and body temperature monitoring would be very useful today. People don’t always realize when they have a fever (even in the era of COVID-19), and for diabetics, the ability to check blood sugar at any moment of the day without a finger prick is a big deal. These features could also link to Apple’s Health app for the upcoming Share Data tool, which alerts doctors or family members when the Apple Watch detects a health crisis or finds an unfavorable health reading.
Source: Bloomberg
