{"id":55295,"date":"2022-08-24T20:40:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T20:40:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/how-the-galaxy-watch-5-takes-health-tracking-to-the-next-level\/"},"modified":"2022-08-24T20:40:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-24T20:40:23","slug":"how-the-galaxy-watch-5-takes-health-tracking-to-the-next-level","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/how-the-galaxy-watch-5-takes-health-tracking-to-the-next-level\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Galaxy Watch 5 Takes Health Tracking to the Next Level"},"content":{"rendered":"
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at its Unpacked event<\/span> earlier this month, Samsung launched its new Galaxy Watch 5<\/span>, offering several small design tweaks and one big new health-tracking feature: measuring changes in skin temperature. Only time will tell whether it ends up being a killer feature or just a gimmick. <\/p>\n

For now, we can only look at its potential. <\/p>\n

At first glance, skin temperature tracking may not seem as helpful as prior smartwatch additions like sleep tracking, ECG functions that watch for heart arrhythmias or blood oxygen monitoring for sleep apnea. It’s not even clear what skin temperature changes actually signify. During Unpacked, Samsung vaguely hinted that they could indicate possible illnesses or other conditions.<\/p>\n

Welcome to the feature-creep race among wearables, where manufacturers jam in a new capability in the hopes of proclaiming their product superior to the competition \u2013 and therefore the healthier option. With Apple having solidified a massive lead in smartwatches, companies like Samsung have to go the extra mile to convince you that their wearables are worth a second look. <\/p>\n

But compared to changes in heart rate or sleep, it’s less obvious how skin temperature translates to health. Unlike core temperature, a variety of factors like outdoor heat, exercise, eating and menstrual cycles can affect skin temperature too, so wearables rely on other sensors to account for things happening outside your body to isolate the changes going on inside it.<\/p>\n

To benefit from skin temperature monitoring, readings must be taken over time to establish a baseline, said Ramon Llamas, research director at analyst firm IDC. If you’re normally trending at 96.9 degrees Fahrenheit and spike up to 99.1 for a prolonged period, you could be coming down with something. A smartwatch like the Galaxy Watch 5 could combine those skin temperature readings with heart rate, breathing, sleep tracking, blood oxygen levels and other metrics for a comprehensive report on your health.<\/p>\n

“Now we have a clearer readout that can tell us if you are really sick or if it may be a passing thing,” Llamas said.<\/p>\n

The Galaxy Watch 5 isn’t the first wearable to track skin temperature changes. The Oura Ring monitors skin temperature and reveals findings through its paired app, while the latest Fitbit Sense is a wrist wearable that shows temperature changes on its display. <\/p>\n

While Samsung has been coy about what other ways its watch could use skin temperature, it’s invited app developers to innovate their own ways to harness the feature. But the company could learn from what other wearables have done with skin temperature tracking for years.<\/p>\n