Apple is Working on Thermometer and Blood Pressure Sensors for Apple Watch [Report]

Apple is working on thermometer and blood pressure sensors for the Apple Watch, according to a new report from the WSJ.

Sources say the thermometer would be used to help with fertility planning and may be ready as soon as next year.

A planned use for the sensor in 2022 would be for fertility planning, the people said, giving women clues about where they are in their ovulation cycle. Already this is available from startups, including Natural Cycles USA Corp., whose birth-control app was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration in 2018. In the future, Apple hopes the wrist temperature feature can be used to detect fevers, the people said.

The ability to measure blood pressure is also being worked on for next year; however, Apple has purportedly run into some issues with the technology. The company is trying to get a reading by measuring the speed of the wave a heart beat sends through a person’s arteries. The current version of the feature only shows trend information rather than specific measurements.

The version of the feature under discussion at Apple would try to show users how their blood pressure is trending, but without providing a baseline measure of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, according to people familiar with these plans. Some employees have raised questions to managers about how useful such a feature would be, the people said, though they cautioned that the feature is still in development and could change.

Beyond these two features, Apple also wants to be able to detect sleep apnea, provide medical guidance when low blood oxygen levels are detected, and one day, detect diabetes.

The next generation Apple Watch will likely be unveiled this month; however, recent reports suggest its production could be delayed. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for updates.

Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.

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