The Apple Watch is generally regarded as the best smartwatch option if you own an iOS device. Despite the Apple Watch Series 7 only being out for six months, rumors have been swirling since early 2022 about its successor, the Apple Watch Series 8. There have been reports that Apple would be focusing more on improving the fitness tracking capabilities, rather than packing it with new sensors. In addition, there have been some rumors about the addition of a temperature sensor. It looks like if Apple can get things right, temperature sensors on the Apple Watch might actually become a reality this year.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple had plans to add a temperature sensor to the Watch Series 7. But, Apple couldn't get it to work as accurately as it would have liked. According to Kuo, the technology utilizes a physical sensor and software algorithm. These two working together are necessary for accurate readings. Kuo states that "the algorithm failed to qualify before entering the EVT stage last year...The challenge in implementing precise body temperature measurement is that skin temperature quickly varies depending on outside environments".

Despite this, Kuo thinks that if Apple can get the hardware and software algorithm to work harmoniously, we could see the temperature sensor make its debut in the Apple Watch Series 8. Apparently, this issue is not unique to Apple. Kuo states that Samsung is also struggling with the same problem. Because of this, Samsung's next Galaxy Watch won't include the ability to measure body temperature.

Some would consider the Apple Watch Series 7 an iterative update. The Watch Series 7 did not debut with a new processor or new sensors. Instead, the most notable change from its predecessor included a larger, brighter, and more durable display. It will be interesting to see what kind of updates the Watch Series 8 will offer.

Source: Ming-Chi Kuo (Twitter)