Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 might ship with a skin temperature measurement feature, after all. Recent rumors suggested it had been postponed to 2023.
Latest developments suggest that Samsung‘s upcoming Galaxy Watch 5 might ship with skin temperature measurement support, after all. While original rumors about the device suggested that it would come with a thermometer, more recent reports suggested otherwise. Last month, a Tweet from tipster Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that the Galaxy Watch 5 might not come with body temperature measuring as Samsung was facing some challenges while implementing the new feature in its next-gen smartwatch.
Recent leaks have revealed that Samsung will ditch the ‘Classic’ version for a ‘Pro’ model this year. This will also mean that there will be no rotating bezel in either of the Galaxy Watch 5 variants, much to the disappointment of many would-be buyers waiting for the new lineup. Reports also suggest that the upcoming watches will offer a massive battery upgrade over their predecessors to rectify persistent complaints about the Galaxy Watch 4’s poor battery life.
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The latest beta version of the Samsung Health app apparently features a toggle for ‘Skin temperature during sleep,’ suggesting that the Galaxy Watch 5 will very likely ship with a temperature sensor. However, the feature will likely be used for menstrual cycle tracking and fertility planning rather than as a diagnostic tool. The inclusion of the new toggle was first spotted by u/thedrunkmayor on Reddit, who posted a screenshot to show that the feature is already live in the latest Samsung Health beta. However, it very likely doesn’t do anything for now, as the Galaxy Watch 4 doesn’t support skin temperature measurements.
Watch Series 8 Might Also Have Skin Temperature Measuring
While the latest development suggests that Samsung is definitely working on the skin temperature measurement feature, it does not necessarily guarantee that it will be available in the Galaxy Watch 5. It could very well be that the company is simply working on the feature before incorporating it in its 2023 smartwatch lineup. Even if the hardware is included in this year’s models, it will be interesting to see if the feature will be available at launch or if Samsung enables it with an OTA update later.
It is worth noting here that Apple is also said to be working on a temperature measurement feature for its next-gen smartwatch line. According to Tweets by Ming-Chi Kuo last month, the company canceled the feature in Watch Series 7 due to problems with the algorithm, but is trying to sort those issues out before the Watch Series 8 goes into production. If everything goes according to plan, both the Watch Series 8 and Samsung‘s Galaxy Watch 5 might ship with a temperature measurement feature this year.
