Samsung has hinted its in-development non-invasive glucose monitoring technology is edging closer to taking its place in a Galaxy Watch smartwatch or Galaxy Ring.
The feature, which Samsung has long-hailed as a holy grail feature for smartwatches, was last teased by the company in early 2024.
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It wasn’t launched on the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch Ultra last summer and then all went quiet on the Far Eastern front. However, at a recent Samsung Health forum in San Jose, Samsung senior vice president Hon Pak called the feature a potential game-changer (reporting by Android Authority).
He said: “What I’m really excited about is our team, as you may have assumed, we are working on a noninvasive optically-based continuous glucose monitor. I can’t tell you the time [of the launch], but I’m very excited about the progress we are making, and this, if we do it right, will be a game-changer.”
Whether this means Samsung is preparing the update for the Galaxy Watch 8 or a second-generation Galaxy Watch Ultra remains to be seen.
However, it does sound like Samsung is getting closer to this feature, which could help people suffering with diabetes to manage their condition without the need to prick themselves and take blood samples.
The last we heard from Hon Pak on the matter was in January of 2024 when he spoke of continuous blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring.
“If we can do continuous blood pressure and glucose, we’re in a whole different ballgame. I think that’s where everyone is trying to get to,” he said at the time. “We are looking at everything from miniaturisation to the various different technology platforms that can do some type of glucose monitoring or anything in between.”
Could Samsung beat Apple to this feature?
Comparing a Galaxy Watch and an Apple Watch feels moot at times because no iPhone user is buying a Galaxy Watch and no Galaxy phone user is buying an Apple Watch.
However, the rivalry between the two companies is such that the first to this holy grail feature for wearable technology will score a major PR win. It’s no exaggeration to say it could change lives and save lives.
Who’s your money on? Apple or Samsung? Samsung sounds like it’s close, Apple wouldn’t have admit it if it was.
