Technology
New Apple Watch could track blood sugar and pressure – and even ALCOHOL content
APPLE may be working on a new smartwatch with a built-in breathalyser for boozed up wearers.
According to The Telegraph, the iPhone-maker is the largest customer of UK firm Rockley Photonics, which is developing “Doctor on a wrist” sensors.
Apple may be working on a new smartwatch that can track blood alcohol levels[/caption]
Those sensors beam infrared light through the skin to take readings of blood-related health metrics, including sugar and alcohol content.
Currently, the only way to accurately take these measurements is through blood samples.
Coupled with the pricey Apple Watch, the technology could allow users to track how sloshed they are in real-time.
Existing sensors on Apple’s wearable devices use infrared to measure heart rate and blood oxygen levels through the wrist.
The technology could be incorporated into Apple devices as early as next year[/caption]
Rockley has previously said that its next-generation technology could make its way into smartwatches as early as 2022.
That would line up with the release of the Apple Watch Series 8, which is slated for release next summer.
As well as blood sugar and alcohol, Rockley sensors can take readings of blood pressure, according to the company.
Combined with the advice of a medical professional, keeping track of blood pressure could help users spot the early signs of heart disease.
Regular blood glucose readings, on the other hands, could assist in the diagnosis of diabetes.
Apple has not confirmed that it intends to incorporate Rockley’s technology into its smartwatch range.
The world’s most valuable company’s involvement with the UK start-up was revealed by legal filings unearthed by The Telegraph.
Apple Watch release history
Here’s every smartwatch Apple has released to date…
- Original: April 24, 2015
- Series 1 and Series 2: September 16, 2016
- Series 3: September 22, 2017
- Series 4: September 21, 2018
- Series 5: September 20, 2019
- Series 6 and Watch SE: September 18, 2020
Rockley, which has offices in Oxford, Cardiff and Silicon Valley, is preparing to become a publicly traded company.
The company called Apple its biggest customer in listing documents filed in New York.
The first Apple Watch hit shelves in 2015 and is now the world’s best-selling timepiece, according to the tech titan.
The Apple Watch 6 – launched last year – can read blood oxygen levels and check your heart rhythm and heart rate.
The latest smartwatches from Samsung, the Galaxy Watch3 and Galaxy Watch Active2, can monitor your blood pressure.
However, to do so they must be calibrated with a traditional blood pressure measuring cuff.
Apple is expected to launch the Apple Watch 7 this summer.
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Would you trust an Apple Watch breathalyser? Let us know in the comments!
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