Samsung revived its classically-designed smartwatch line last year, with the release of the Galaxy Watch3. Among other features, it included hardware support for blood oxygen and blood pressure monitoring, even if neither feature worked all that well. Now it looks like the next Galaxy Watch could add a heavily-requested feature: blood glucose monitoring.

Blood glucose monitoring, also known as blood sugar monitoring, is frequently performed by people with diabetes and other conditions that affect blood sugar levels. It normally requires a small blood sample (e.g., pricking your finger with a medical device), but according to ET News, Samsung's next Galaxy Watch will support blood glucose monitoring without the need for piercing the skin. The watch will allegedly use a technology based on Raman spectroscopy, which uses a laser beam to interact with molecular vibrations, then uses data about the shift in energy to determine the molecular makeup of whatever is being scanned.

However, there are at least a few concerns with the feature. Samsung's last few health features have often proved unreliable (blood oxygen tracking on the Watch3 often gives erratic results), or have extremely slow rollouts in markets outside of Korea, since they have to be approved by each country's medical agencies.

If Samsung can get the feature working well, it would be a significant breakthrough for the company, as no smartwatches currently offer blood glucose monitoring. Apple is expected to offer a similar feature on its Watch Series 7, which could be released before the Galaxy Watch4.

Source: ET News