The Apple Watch is not expected to receive the breakthrough non-invasive blood glucose monitor anytime soon, according to the latest reports. The Cupertino-based tech giant has been working on a technology that will revolutionize the way people keep track of the glucose levels in their blood, but it appears that the feature would require more time for evaluation, possibly taking around three to seven years to be perfected.
'Algorithms and On-board Sensors' of Blood Glucose Sensing Technology Not Yet Ready
Tech analyst Mark Gurman of Bloomberg said that while Apple is on its way to developing the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring feature, the technology to bring this feature to the market is not yet complete. As reported by MacRumors, Gurman noted that the company has not yet perfected the "algorithms and on-board sensors" that will allow efficient assessment of the user's blood glucose levels without needing to draw blood by pricking the skin.
The Apple Watch is expected to use silicon photonics chip to allow the non-invasive procedure of reading blood glucose levels. The chip will emit light from a laser, making it possible to read the concentration of glucose in the blood right under the skin. As much as the public wants this feature to launch as early as 2023, Gurman believes that it would take "another 3 to 7 years at least" to introduce the technology for public consumption. He also mentioned that the blood glucose sensor must be designed accordingly so that its size can fit the the "small and thin" build of the Apple Watch.
Back in February, Gurman said that there has been great progress with the said technology, thus making other people believe that the non-invasive blood glucose sensor would finally launch with this year's Apple Watch Series 9. As per Apple Insider, the expectations are high for Apple's next-gen wearable device, given that the previous iterations of the Apple Watch introduced impressive features. For one, the Apple Watch Series 9 introduced a temperature reader while the Series 6 got an oxygen saturation sensor.
Apple Watch Series 9 to Highlight MicroLED Display
At this point, it seems too early for the 2023 Apple Watch version to have the non-invasive blood glucose sensing feature. Per Apple Insider, Apple's engineers are working on a prototype of the technology that is the same size as an iPhone. Further size reduction is needed so that the feature can be introduced in a device as small as an Apple Watch, which would likely take several years.
Still, the Apple Watch Series 9 is expected to boast impressive features without the blood glucose monitoring. According to CNET, Series 9 could get a display upgrade before the iPhone 14 successor, similar to how the earlier Apple Watch versions got the OLED display before the iPhone. Specifically, the 2023 smartwear is rumored to have a MicroLED display produced by Apple itself, possibly signalling the end of the company's reliance on other tech makers like Samsung and LG to supply parts.
