Published October 25, 2021 by Philip Elmer-DeWitt

Diabetics: An Apple Watch with blood sugar sensors coming next fall — report

From Sami Fathi’s “Apple Watch Series 8 Suppliers Developing Blood Glucose Monitoring Components” posted Monday on MacRumors:

Apple’s suppliers are currently developing components for next-generation sensors in the Apple Watch Series 8 that will allow users to measure their blood glucose level, according to a new report.

According to a paywalled report from DigiTimes, Apple and its suppliers have begun working on short-wavelength infrared sensors, a commonly used sensor type for health devices. The new sensors, likely to be fitted on the back of the Apple Watch, will enable the device to measure the amount of sugar in a wearer’s blood.

The Apple Watch, over the years, has gained more comprehensive health features, most recently with the Apple Watch Series 6 that added a blood oxygen sensor. Compared to the first Apple Watch capable of measuring heart rate and primary daily activity, the Apple Watch is now capable of taking an ECG, detecting falls, high and low heart rates, blood oxygen levels, and more…

What Apple has in store for the next Apple Watch remains unclear, but the radical redesign that was rumored for the Series 7 but never materialized could make an appearance. The Apple Watch Series 7, announced last month, includes a larger display, faster charging, and a slightly larger battery. Apple is expected to announce the Apple Watch Series 8 in the 2022 fall season.