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Samsung’s upcoming smartwatch model with thermometer functions may fall short of expectations. Last month, rumors surfaced that the Galaxy Watch 5 would include a body temperature sensor, but the feature may not be ready this year.
According to a tweet from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Galaxy Watch 5 may not include body temperature monitoring. According to Kuo, Samsung is having trouble integrating the new feature into its next-generation smartwatch and may drop it entirely in this year’s models.
Due to the difficulty of accurately measuring body temperature on the wrist, according to Kuo, Samsung is dropping the temperature measurement feature in this year’s models.
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Samsung isn’t the only smartwatch maker who has had to deal with this issue. Apple had planned to include a thermometer in the Watch 7 series, but the company had to postpone its plans because its temperature-reading algorithm wasn’t ready.
This is because external factors like exposure to extreme cold or direct sunlight can affect skin temperature on the arm, resulting in inaccurate readings. To measure body temperature, a smartwatch requires a special algorithm rather than just hardware, which presents a significant challenge for Samsung.
It’s no coincidence that both companies are reportedly experiencing similar problems, but Apple may have a leg up on Samsung this year and beat them to the finish line.
Apple Watch 8 versus Galaxy Watch 5
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Even though the Apple Watch 8 series and the Galaxy Watch 5 will have vastly different designs and specifications, the methods used by Apple and Samsung to add body temperature-reading capabilities to their next-generation wearables appear to be similar.
The problem they’re having is that the temperature of the surface skin can change depending on external factors. Samsung and Apple are both working with non-intrusive hardware that can only read surface temperatures, so they’re both trying to come up with clever algorithms to account for these differences and allow their smartwatches to take accurate readings.
Sadly for Samsung fans, the latest rumor suggests that the Korean tech giant will not be able to complete development in time for the Galaxy Watch 5, which means the thermometer feature may be delayed a year and debut with the Galaxy Watch 6 (tentative name).
Meanwhile, the same source claims that Apple may have cracked the code and will be the first to market the feature with the Watch 8 series.
Possibly Samsung will include temperature-reading hardware in the Galaxy Watch 5 and enable the feature via firmware update once the algorithm is complete. Previously released Galaxy Watch models had the ECG feature activated via software updates.
However, Samsung may need to save the hardware for the Galaxy Watch 6, indicating that the feature will not be available this year. In August, the Galaxy Watch 5 is expected to be launched.
The Fitbit Sense, the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH, the Amazfit GTS 2e/GTS 2e, and other smartwatches already have skin temperature sensors. Furthermore, both the Whoop 4.0 fitness tracker and the Oura Ring 3 have built-in thermometers that allow users to keep track of their body temperatures.
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