Future Samsung Galaxy Watches could come with an optical blood glucose sensor. Photo: HWZ
The next frontier for smartwatches to conquer is blood glucose monitoring and Samsung is not shy to share its progress on it.
Hon Park, Samsung's senior vice president, reportedly shared that the company is working on a "noninvasive optically-based continuous glucose monitor". Compared to conventional methods of finger prick or blood test, a "non-invasive" method can rely on infrared light - similar to the optical heart rate sensor - to measure blood glucose levels.
While he did not share a possible launch timeline for the feature, Park says he is pleased with the progress made and that the feature will be a game-changer if the company does it right.
Samsung has been working on the blood glucose monitoring technology for a few years. In 2020, the South Korean company and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the development of a "non-invasive" way of monitoring blood sugar levels.
It is also not the only company to be working on the feature. CNBC reported in 2017 that Apple has a team of 30 biomedical engineers working on optical sensors to monitor blood sugar levels. Apple is said to have spent "high tens of millions of dollars a year" as of 2023, but Bloomberg says it will still take a few more years before the blood glucose monitoring technology will be ready.
If Samsung is able to debut an optical blood glucose sensor ahead of the competition, especially Apple, it would gain a first-mover advantage and boost sales of its Galaxy Watches.
Source: Android Authority
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