Although Samsung announced that their Galaxy Watch5 offers a temperature sensor to get ahead of Apple, it's yet to receive Government Approval
Last week, Patently Apple was first to report that Apple was granted a patent for an Apple Watch temperature sensor that is rumored to be coming to Apple Watch 8. The original patent was filed back in January 2022. We also published a granted patent report back April 2022 about a temperature sensor being considered for future AirPods. Apple filed for that in June 2021. Lastly, we covered a temperature sensor for Apple Watch in December 2021 (see patent figure above) wherein Apple had noted that the new sensor could also be integrated into future devices including smartglasses and mixed reality headset.
It had been rumored back in April that a temperature sensor could be the next new health sensor coming to Apple Watch. Yet Samsung sought to grab the credit limelight of being first-to-market with a temperature feature on their new Galaxy Watch5 at the their Unpacked Event last week.
What makes their move sleazy is the fact that the temperature sensor won't be functional when the Galaxy Watch5 launches. So what they were first-to-market with is a marketing promise that it's coming. A new report today by The Korea Herald makes that clear.
Speaking a press conference last Thursday in New York, Samsung Electronics executive vice president Yang Tae-jong stated that “Galaxy Watch5 is loaded with various technologies including an innovative bioactive sensor that can measure biometrics to help (users) stay healthy."
According to Samsung Electronics, Galaxy Watch5 has been equipped with a new temperature sensor that uses infrared technology for more accurate readings.
“We are reviewing and developing various functions with the new addition of the contactless temperature sensor on Galaxy Watch5. It could be used in many areas such as measuring body skin temperatures, sleep and exercise tracking as well as health care,” Yang said.
The Korea Herald further reported: "But he did not specifically mention when the new temperature-measuring services will begin. Galaxy Watch5’s temperature sensor has not received the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s official approval for its temperature-measuring technology yet.
So if Apple delivers their new temperature sensor with Apple Watch 8, it's Apple that will be first-to-market with this feature and not Samsung. Yet Samsung's marketing team knew that the mere mention of a temperature sensor on Galaxy Watch5 in their presentation last week would be interpreted by those in the Samsung and Android camps as beating Apple to market. Here's one report to prove that out.
Yang was also playing up the Samsung Watch5 sleep tracking feature that Apple has had since June 2020. Apple began to work on sleep tracking ever since they acquired Beddit in 2017 and it advanced it to Apple Watch. Samsung wanted to sound just as impressive by stating that "Samsung Electronics began developing sleep-related technologies a long time ago." Yes, and I'm sure that their research began after Apple revealed their acquisition of Beddit.
Samsung won on one front though, being first to introduce a titanium watch material that has been rumored to be coming to Apple Watch 8 Pro. Though, for the record, Apple patents about the future use of titanium in Apple devices date back to 2016 (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06 and 07). Apple is at times glacially slow to bring their patented ideas to market and companies like Samsung take advantage of that.
Comments