Samsung is being tipped to win the race to offer non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, with the Galaxy Watch 7 expected to debut the feature when it arrives this summer.
That's if you believe a pretty loose connection made by a South Korean outlet, at least, who hints that the long-awaited health feature will be offered via AI in the company's upcoming smartwatch series.
The report appears to have followed a visit from Samsung Health's advisory committee members to the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul to discuss the role of wearables in the future of wearable - something that appeared on Samsung's newsroom a day earlier.
From what we can tell, there's no real insider insight here to suggest that the company's push towards AI-powered health features will result in the Galaxy Watch 7 debuting a blood glucose feature.
The outlet, which we've linked at the bottom for your perusal, only states the obvious: a Samsung device offering blood glucose monitoring will be tagged as an electronic device rather than a medical tool.
At the very least, though, this does reaffirm that Samsung is pushing hard on AI in its wearables.
We already know that Samsung Health will lean on Galaxy AI with new features this year, and Samsung Vice President Hon Pak stated clearly back in January that the company is investing significantly in wearable health features such as non-invasive blood glucose monitoring.
Two key questions, then: when is Samsung likely to debut non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, and what form will it take?
With the help of an expert, let's explore them below
Wareable
Analysis: AI 'monitoring' likely, but perhaps not the answer
Whether it's Samsung, Apple, or another of the wearable industry's giants, regular rumors appear regarding non-invasive blood glucose monitoring.
The problem is that most industry experts agree that we're many years away from any non-invasive tech reaching consumer smartwatches.
When we spoke to Olivier Ropars, Divisional VP of Abbott's Lingo Biowearables, for the PULSE by Wareable podcast in March, he poured cold water on the idea of this arriving any time soon:
“I would love to have my glucose level on my watch, like my heart rate. The reality is that there’s no technology today that can do that. My understanding is that it’s probably 10 years away. I hope it’s sooner. All the scientists at Abbott are very close to this, and I don’t think we’re there yet," he said.
As a result of the wait for next-gen sensors, we're beginning to see an emerging trend of AI being touted as a potential solution to bridge the gap.
When we asked Ropars whether AI can be used to track reliably without a continuous glucose monitor, however, he was again skeptical.
"It’s difficult to lose weight without a scale at home. I’m not sure you can lose weight with an AI scale on your phone. It’s not real enough for me to drive behavior change.”
From what rumors suggest - and considering Samsung's continued interest - we think it's still likely some take on blood glucose monitoring will appear on its smartwatches over the next few years.
At least based on what we know from experts and a lack of any concrete leaks, however, expect this to take a similar shape to the company's blood pressure integration - and lean very heavily on AI in its initial iteration.
Source: Pulse News KR
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Conor joined Wareable in 2017, quickly making a name for himself by testing out language translation earbuds on a first date, navigating London streets in a wearable airbag, and experiencing skydiving in a VR headset.
Over the years, he has evolved into a recognized wearables and fitness tech expert. Through Wareable’s instructional how-to guides, Conor helps users maximize the potential of their gadgets, and also shapes the conversation in digital health and AI hardware through PULSE by Wareable.
As an avid marathon runner, dedicated weightlifter, and frequent hiker, he also provides a unique perspective to Wareable’s in-depth product reviews and news coverage.
In addition to his contributions to Wareable, Conor’s expertise has been featured in publications such as British GQ, The Independent, Digital Spy, Pocket-lint, The Mirror, WIRED, and Metro.