Could the Apple Watch 7 really measure blood glucose – and why is it important?

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Most of the rumours I’ve seen, including those with patents attached, are for light level based readings similar to how blood oxygen levels are taken and how things like pulse is checked by smart watches.
The new Apple Watch is due towards the end of September and it might be that BG monitoring doesn’t make it this time but does for the next one.

It’s worth noting that Google are also working on “through the skin” BG monitoring tech with the intention of building it into smart watches.
 
Was it Google who were working on the contact lens that measured blood sugar and showed it in front of your eye? I remember reading about that years ago but I’ve heard nothing since.

A watch would be great - if it works.
 
Inka said:
Was it Google who were working on the contact lens that measured blood sugar and showed it in front of your eye? I remember reading about that years ago but I’ve heard nothing since.
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Technically it was some subordinate of Alphabet, I think. And they dropped it.

www.bbc.co.uk

Google halts glucose-sensing contact lens project

The contact lens was designed to help people with diabetes monitor their glucose levels
www.bbc.co.uk
 
I remember the glucowatch, not sure if it came to uk, in the 90’s, wasn’t that accurate and caused severe skin rashes. Featured on the film Panic Room.
I know I can link my Dexcom to an Apple Watch, but still need app on phone. But I don’t wear a watch anymore as use phone for the time.
 
I absolutely wouldn't wear such a thing - far FAR too big a watch for my skinny wrists.
 
Jade said:
I remember the glucowatch, not sure if it came to uk, in the 90’s, wasn’t that accurate and caused severe skin rashes. Featured on the film Panic Room.
I know I can link my Dexcom to an Apple Watch, but still need app on phone. But I don’t wear a watch anymore as use phone for the time.
Click to expand...

There was a Hypowatch, I think. That measured sweat if I’m remembering correctly, and was largely to detect nocturnal hypos.
 
Must admit I wouldn't have used the contact lens thing if they'd got it working and I hate wearing watches so the Apple watch wouldn't have been for me either.
Just noticed that the Apple Watch is more expensive than some laptops. That is insane!
 
I am quite sure that sometime within the next 500 years there will be several revolutions in sensing technology that will make our descendents look with wry amusement on the idea that you could monitor blood glucose by jabbing a needle in your finger, collecting the blood on a bit of plastic and reading a best guess for blood glucose on the screen on a plastic jobbo. As for sticking a thing on your arm and waving a phone at it to get a second best guess, that will really get them falling about.

Can't see the Apple watch as being the first of those revolutions.
 
Hopefully they’d miniaturise it a bit. It is quite large.
 
trophywench said:
I absolutely wouldn't wear such a thing
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I also have tiny wrists (especially for a man), but I'd happily put up with an Apple Watch. And I'd be OK using an iPhone (I currently use an Android one, so that would also be a significant expense).

(I doubt very much I'll have to, because I don't think they'll produce one that can read glucose in any useful way. If they do anything at all, I'm guessing it'll be some kind of cooperation with Abbott, Dexcom, etc., so that those can be read out on their Watch. Nothing wrong with that and it may already be possible; making it easier would be positive.)
 
pm133 said:
Must admit I wouldn't have used the contact lens thing if they'd got it working and I hate wearing watches so the Apple watch wouldn't have been for me either.
Just noticed that the Apple Watch is more expensive than some laptops. That is insane!
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Blimey @pm133, you can get a good Apple Watch for around £300. If you pay that for a laptop you will get a feeble bit of kit with a shoddy screen and low processing power and battery life.

What you are paying for with an Apple Watch (and an iPhone, come to think) is regular updates for at least 5 years, and increased security as one result. Android devices only provide 2 years of security updates from the date they are made, though Samsung has promised 4 years on some of its phones, which are at least as expensive as iPhones.
 
mikeyB said:
Blimey @pm133, you can get a good Apple Watch for around £300. If you pay that for a laptop you will get a feeble bit of kit with a shoddy screen and low processing power and battery life.

What you are paying for with an Apple Watch (and an iPhone, come to think) is regular updates for at least 5 years, and increased security as one result. Android devices only provide 2 years of security updates from the date they are made, though Samsung has promised 4 years on some of its phones, which are at least as expensive as iPhones.
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The whole smartphone/watch market just baffles me. I just don't get what other people get excited about. People queue round the block and overnight whenever Apple release a new device. It's very bizarre behaviour. 🙂

As for my laptop. Shoddy screen? The screen is absolutely fine but I don't use it. I'm sitting at a table with my laptop lid closed, plugged into a 32 inch old TV screen with an external keyboard and mouse.
It's plugged in constantly so battery power isn't an issue.
I also installed Linux on it so processing power requirements are minimal. There are no graphical or performance issues on anything I use it for and that includes mathematical programming. Security-wise it's very good too. All my upgrades are free as long as I keep up with them and don't get out of date (automatically setup).

What you are paying for with anything containing an Apple logo is........the Apple name. Frustratingly enough, I do like their kit. I got to use an iMac from brand new a few years ago and they are immaculate in looks and performance. If they weren't such greedy b****ds, I'd be buying an iMac. I am tempted though.
 
I don’t use Apple computing. Or any brand name. I just get the local computer servicing folk to build me a machine to my specification with very high end graphics and a high rated CPU, and power unit and all liquid cooled. Running Microsoft Windows. I don’t use Microsoft’s Office programs, mind, I’ve always used WordPerfect, because it’s better. It will beat any retail iMac for speed and performance, at a lower price, too.

I can’t imagine anyone buying a retail computer. You just need something that fits your needs. My need is running The Witcher 3 at the highest graphics setting without hiccups. And word processing, for writing my Booker price winning novel. As if🙂
 
It seems likely that the BG monitoring function won’t be included in the Apple Watch until the model revamp next year rather than this.
 
I doubt if Apple will introduce BG monitoring in the next iteration of their watch. I’ve just bought my daughter an Apple Watch 6, because it has a heart rhythm monitor and and Oxygen saturation monitor, which uses the same tech as those clips they stick on your finger in hospitals. So unless anyone else comes up with reliable tech than can do transdermal BG measurement, which they could adapt, it just won’t happen.

I only bought it because she is under the Long Covid Clinic, and they would be helped by the data.
 
I think Apple bought Rockley Tech who have a number of patents for non invasive continuous BG monitoring which are designed to be wrist worn.
 
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