Apple Watch Series 5 Release Date, Specs: Glucose Sensor Is One of the New Health Features?

Apple has become more aggressive in improving the health-related features of its wearable device. For Apple Watch Series 5, one of the speculated additions is a new sensor that tracks the user’s glucose level.

The iPhone maker has long been rumored to introduce a glucose monitoring feature on its wearable device lineup. And it could be pointing to one of the improvements to be seen in Apple Watch Series 5. The speculations began last year when the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent filing from Apple for a “Reference switch architectures for noncontact sensing of substances.”

The same patent describes an optics-based system for “measuring a concentration and type of substance.” The main point of the patent is to offer a device that can monitor a specific substance from the body through a non-invasive method. This can then pave the way for adding a glucose-specific sensor that reports hope will be available on Apple Watch Series 5.

Apple’s efforts to make the Apple Watch more health-friendly was realized by introducing the ECG app last year. It is certainly available on Apple Watch Series 5. But probably because of legal reasons, it is only limited to users based in the United States.

However, that could change by the time Apple unveils the Apple Watch Series 5 this year. Renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will expand the availability of the ECG functions to other territories. Gizchina speculates that Canada is first on the list while MacWorld also hopes it will be available in the United Kingdom in 2019.

Kuo also reported that the company will bring back the ceramics variant for the Apple Watch Series 5 launch. But, obviously, it will cost more than the standard model. The next smartwatch from Apple is expected to be announced in September along with a new lineup of iPhones.