Rumor: Tim Cook personally testing new glucose blood sugar monitor for Apple Watch

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is said to have been spotted on his company's corporate headquarters wearing a new, unannounced Apple Watch accessory that could be used to measure a user's blood sugar levels in an non-intrusive fashion.

Citing an unnamed source, CNBC reported on Thursday that Cook himself was wearing the prototype device. It's unknown whether it is an Apple-made piece of equipment, or something created in collaboration with a medical device maker.

The report also said that Cook even publicly discussed the device during an appearance at the University of Glasgow back in February. He said the device helped him understand how his body reacted to the foods he eats, and allowed him to keep his blood sugar more constant.

"I've been wearing a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks," Cook said without mentioning connectivity to the Apple Watch. "I just took it off before coming on this trip."

The rumor is the latest in a line of reports claiming that the next-generation Apple Watch, expected to arrive this fall, could include support for glucose monitoring in some fashion. Earlier this week, another report said that Apple is also planning to include support for swappable smart bands that could add new functionality to the Apple Watch if a user desires.

Apple's embrace of glucose technology is expected to be non-invasive, measuring through the skin with advanced sensors. By potentially selling it as a separate band, Apple could potentially receive Food and Drug Administration approval for the accessory without the need to have the same certification for the Apple Watch hardware itself.

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. However its current health tracking only operate off of motion and heart rate.

Cook himself said in an interview earlier this month that the Apple Watch helped him shed 30 pounds by encouraging him to be active.

A so-called "Series 3" Apple Watch could arrive this September, alongside an anticipated revamp of the iPhone lineup, headlined by a completely redesigned "iPhone 8" model with a premium price tag. Last year, the Apple Watch Series 2 and Series 1 models debuted alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

Latest Exclusives

Latest comparisons

42 Comments

rogifan_new 4297 comments · 9 Years

About 7 years ago

So I wonder if this is a 3rd party device or something Apple developed? And is it something that requires the Watch? Seems odd that Cook would mention if it was an unannounced Apple product.

ireland 17435 comments · 18 Years

Where did they source the Cook quote?

king editor the grate 662 comments · 15 Years

“Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook is ... wearing an Apple Watch accessory that could be used to measure a user's blood sugar levels in an insanely intrusive fashion." "I've been wearing a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks," Cook said without mentioning connectivity to the Apple Watch. "I just took it off before coming on this trip. The stabbing agony in my groin was just too much.”

tht 5594 comments · 23 Years

allmypeople said:

Lost me at "selling it as a separate band" ONE WATCH TO RULE THEM ALL! Keep packing in the features!

I think they've long made the decision to separate functions that require FDA approval processes from the Watch, so the Watch can ship according to Apple's schedule, while the smart bands that require FDA approval processes can just percolate until they are ready.

The sensor in the current Apple Watch supposedly can measure blood oxygen levels, they just haven't turned it on. Either it was accurate for a signification fraction of users, it's medical function requiring FDA approval, or both, and Apple decided not to turn it on.

jamiem 2 comments · 11 Years

Apple doesn't talk about unannounced products, so I doubt Tim would comment on something in development. He likely was wearing a Dexcom G5, which works with Apple Watch and has been around for a while. My guess is he was using it to understand CGMs, which is something Apple hopes to replicate, judging from the rumor mill. But the Dexcom CGM is invasive, if only minimally—an electrical wire the width of two human hairs is inserted into your skin. It connects to a transmitter that sends the results to your iPhone and Apple Watch. With any luck, what Apple is developing is a non-invasive sensor, although I find this unlikely—if the technology were available, you can bet it would be coming from major CGM players like Dexcom or Medtronic that have been doing this stuff for more than 10 years. That Apple could leapfrog them with a non-invasive sensors seems highly unlikely...but we diabetics can hope. And no Mick Mulvaney, I did not develop diabetes because I was a person who "who sits home, drinks sugary drinks, doesn’t exercise, eats poorly, and gets diabetes." I got it at the age of 14 in the middle of cross-country season.