Health is the main reason I care about wearables. That’s why I’ve been wearing an Apple Watch for years. I want the watch to monitor as many health parameters as possible, whether it’s workouts and fitness routines or the inactive parts of the day.
Wearables have improved significantly over the years, with Apple leading the pack. The Apple Watch can track heart rate (and other heart parameters), breathing rate, blood oxygen (outside the US), wrist temperature, sleep, and an increasing number of workouts.
But the holy grail for me would be for the Apple Watch to measure blood sugar levels throughout the day as easily as it measures heart rate. I’ve been saying that for years, as rumors detailed Apple’s ongoing work on this. I want these features from the watch even though I don’t have diabetes. I would also purchase wearables with these capabilities for my family members with the condition.
That’s why it’s incredibly exciting to hear Samsung tease a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring feature for its own wearables.
Per Android AuthoritySamsung hosted a health forum in San Jose, where the company unveiled the Galaxy S25 series earlier this week. Samsung Senior Vice President Hon Pak spoke about Samsung’s work on non-invasive blood sugar monitors.
“What I’m really excited about is our team, as you may have assumed, we’re working on a non-invasive optical-based continuous glucose monitor,” the exec said. ‘I can’t tell you the time [of the launch]but I’m very excited about the progress we’re making, and this, if we get it right, will be a game changer. “
If Samsung is ready to mention such research, it must be confident in achieving this breakthrough. While Samsung may not be ready to say when a future Galaxy Watch flagship will get the technology, I’m sure rivals, including Apple, would have similar release timelines.
The Apple Watch Maker is notorious for its secrecy surrounding products and features. Apple will never tease a breakthrough project, whether it’s non-invasive continuous blood sugar monitoring or something else. But Samsung is all about teasers. In recent years, the company has done that with hardware products such as the Android XR headsets, the Galaxy Ring and the Galaxy S25 Edge.
However, getting an optical sensor to perform accurate blood sugar games is more difficult than creating a new piece of hardware. None of the companies working on such blood sugar monitors can afford mistakes. The technology will likely require FDA approvals before it can be released. Devices like the Galaxy Watch, Apple Watch and similar products should provide blood sugar readouts that are as accurate as traditional methods.
Those methods include pricking the skin with a needle, collecting blood, and taking a blood sugar reading with a special device.
The game changer Samsung teased will involve the Galaxy Watch that beams a certain type of light through the skin and collects data that AI algorithms will translate into blood sugar readings. If Samsung can show up with the Galaxy Ring with the Galaxy Ring, it could be an even bigger breakthrough.
That simplicity could revolutionize the way we treat and prevent diabetes, removing a major obstacle that prevents some people from managing their condition as best as possible.
A wearable provides continuous data without the user having to do anything. In turn, the wearer will be able to respond to the information much more quickly, whether that means adjusting the insulin dose to deal with a glucose spike or simply eating something quickly to avoid a crash.
