Rumor: Next-gen Apple Watch may support glucose monitoring, 'smart' bands

Future Apple Watch models will reportedly include support for glucose monitoring, as well as "smart watch bands" that should expand features without requiring people to buy an entirely new device.

The glucose technology will likely be non-invasive, BGR suggested on Monday, citing an anonymous source. Glucose levels are typically monitored by collecting blood, but that would be impractical on a wrist-worn device, and previous reports have indicated that Apple is working on non-invasive methods.

Glucose monitoring could potentially be built into a smart band, BGR speculated, allowing Apple to get U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval without exposing new Watch designs. Other hypothetical bands might add options like extra battery life or even a camera.

The source added that Apple has "identified the right part of the body," and that "there's so much more they can and intend to do with the Watch." The company has allegedly hired some 200 PhDs in the past year, hoping to improve the Watch's health functions.

Apple has been keen to market the Apple Watch Series 2 as a fitness device, since it's now fully waterproof and supports GPS for distance-based activities like running. Its health tracking can only operate off of motion and heart rate, however.

The company is expected to launch a "Series 3" Watch later this year. Few other features have been rumored, though others might include sleep tracking or even LTE support that was once rumored for the Series 2.

35 Comments

ericthehalfbee 4489 comments · 13 Years

About 7 years ago

I think this would be extremely difficult to do.

However, it would be a game changer if they were successful. It could easily be a $100 billion business for Apple if they made non-invasive monitoring.

sflocal 6133 comments · 16 Years

If Apple has somehow ironed-out the obstacles of non-invasive glucose monitoring, it will be huge. I'm sure Apple has patented the hell out of everything and anything regrind this process because one can be certain that the Samsung's of the world will do everything they can to rip-off Apple's IP and claim it was the "obvious next step".

If this is indeed true, I myself will finally have the excuse to buy an Apple Watch. I'm really psyched about what Apple is doing in this area.

You don't hear anything remotely similar with that Android watch trash.

rob53 3307 comments · 13 Years

Again, an anonymous source causing people to wait for the next version of a product, driving down Apple's sales.

Is there any way to force news agencies, like BGR, to divulge their informants? I know the answer but it makes no sense to continue giving anonymous informants all this free exposure. Of course something like this would be fantastic but where is the transparency in reporting? Who gave BGR this information?

volcan 1799 comments · 10 Years

ericthehalfbee said:

I think this would be extremely difficult to do.

However, it would be a game changer if they were successful. It could easily be a $100 billion business for Apple if they made non-invasive monitoring.

There are already non-invasive glucose monitoring devices but they are only viable in the web of skin between the thumb and forefinger, for example, because they need a light or a electromagnetic emitter and a receiver on the opposite sides to actually look at the blood, unlike the the pulse monitor that is only looking at change in size of the blood vessel itself. It could perhaps also work on an earlobe because they may be thin enough for the signal to pass through as well, which conceivably could be built into some BlueTooth earbuds and communicate to the Apple Watch.