Apple Watch could gain glucose monitoring features by 2022

Posted:
in Apple Watch edited May 2021
An SEC filing for UK startup Rockley Photonics has revealed a significant relationship with Apple, one that could result in the introduction of blood sugar monitoring functions to the Apple Watch as soon as 2022.




Rockley Photonics is a UK-based company that designs sensors for monitoring a person's blood using infrared light. The sensors are said to be capable of monitoring elements normally possible using medical or specialized equipment, including monitoring blood glucose and alcohol levels.

In an SEC filing first reported by the UK's Telegraph, Rockley is preparing to go public in New York, and has revealed details about its financial relationships. According to the document, Apple is identified as one of its "few large customers."

Rockley claims the two largest customers on its books accounted for 100% of the firm's revenue in 2020, and 99.6% in 2019. While it is unclear if Apple is the company's biggest or second-largest customer, it seems highly probable that Apple's interest in sensors and improving its products, as well as being named in the filing, could equate to it being a major client of the startup.

The firm is said to have an ongoing "supply and development agreement" with the company, which it anticipates to continue to rely on for the majority of its income. Most of its revenue also stems from engineering fees for development work on future products.

Rockley CEO Andrew Rickman said he anticipates technology developed by the company will be in consumer products by 2022, though declined to state whether it will involve Apple.

Apple has long been rumored to be working on ways to add glucose monitoring to the Apple Watch, with rumors about the "Apple Watch Series 7" claiming the feature is on the way. Apple has also been working on patent applications for components that could be used to monitor glucose levels through the skin, instead of relying on drawing blood.


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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    I updated my series4 to 6 because of the oxygen sensor addition that helps me monitor o2 saturation due to my sleep apnea….thanks Apple
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 2 of 20
    wwinter86wwinter86 Posts: 50member
    First I would like built in blood pressure sensor
    BeatsKuyangkohdk49
  • Reply 3 of 20
    gerardgerard Posts: 83member
    Was hoping that upgrade was happening this year. Will be waiting until then to upgrade my 5
    Beatsgregoriusmllama
  • Reply 4 of 20
    WgkruegerWgkrueger Posts: 352member
    gerard said:
    Was hoping that upgrade was happening this year. Will be waiting until then to upgrade my 5
    Same here. Waiting for that upgrade feature “forcing” me to buy another Apple product :-)
    Beatsgregoriusm
  • Reply 5 of 20
    How long until a lawsuit is filed in the Western District of Texas over this feature that hasn’t even been announced yet?
    mwhitedysamoriaflyingdpGeorgeBMacllamaStrangeDaysjony0
  • Reply 6 of 20
    This will be a total game changer if they can get blood glucose. This alone will get apple
    stock  to $200
    gregoriusmravnorodomllama
  • Reply 7 of 20
    dysamoriadysamoria Posts: 3,430member
    How long until a lawsuit is filed in the Western District of Texas over this feature that hasn’t even been announced yet?
    I came here to say "And then a year later, they'll be sued for it by a patent troll..."
  • Reply 8 of 20
    Oh, one can just see the day when an Apple Watch notifies you that you've had enough to drink, and become subject to a subpoena by law enforcement for suspected drunk driving.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    Oh, one can just see the day when an Apple Watch notifies you that you've had enough to drink, and become subject to a subpoena by law enforcement for suspected drunk driving.
    Piffle
  • Reply 10 of 20
    KuyangkohKuyangkoh Posts: 838member
    Oh, one can just see the day when an Apple Watch notifies you that you've had enough to drink, and become subject to a subpoena by law enforcement for suspected drunk driving.
    What would the notifications sounds be like? HICK-HICK-HICK
  • Reply 11 of 20
    ravnorodomravnorodom Posts: 692member
    Apple Watch would sell like a hot cake for non-invasive diabetic monitoring system. 
    Trey_Lancespheric
  • Reply 12 of 20
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    The day that Apple makes a watch that can reliably monitor blood glucose is the day AAPL really goes to the moon.  It will establish Apple as a serous medical device company and cement the Apple Watch as a key device for non-invasive blood-glucose monitoring.  The opportunity is HUGE.

    Good luck copying that reliably Samsung.
    llama
  • Reply 13 of 20
    FoodLoverFoodLover Posts: 48member
    sflocal said:
    The day that Apple makes a watch that can reliably monitor blood glucose is the day AAPL really goes to the moon.  It will establish Apple as a serous medical device company and cement the Apple Watch as a key device for non-invasive blood-glucose monitoring.  The opportunity is HUGE.

    Good luck copying that reliably Samsung.

    What a childish comment. Don’t you think that many companies have been working on this for years. The question is just who is going to make it first because this would be a game changer for every company.

    BTW: Samsung could launch it this year already. Would that make Apple copying Samsung? Certainly not!

    https://www.wareable.com/samsung/samsung-galaxy-watch-4-to-get-blood-glucose-tracking-this-year-8277


    "Drinking the Kool-Aid" is not really healthy.
  • Reply 14 of 20
    dk49dk49 Posts: 267member
    gerard said:
    Was hoping that upgrade was happening this year. Will be waiting until then to upgrade my 5
    I have been facing this dilemma for quite some time now. When I was ready to buy series 4, there were rumours of always on display in next version, then there were rumours of blood oxygen measurement in the next one (that was already long due), now there are rumours of blood pressure and glucose monitoring in the upcoming versions..makes it difficult to take the plunge at any time! 

    I hope they add body temperature measuring sensor too! 
    edited May 2021 ravnorodom
  • Reply 15 of 20
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    FoodLover said:
    sflocal said:
    The day that Apple makes a watch that can reliably monitor blood glucose is the day AAPL really goes to the moon.  It will establish Apple as a serous medical device company and cement the Apple Watch as a key device for non-invasive blood-glucose monitoring.  The opportunity is HUGE.

    Good luck copying that reliably Samsung.

    What a childish comment. Don’t you think that many companies have been working on this for years. The question is just who is going to make it first because this would be a game changer for every company.

    BTW: Samsung could launch it this year already. Would that make Apple copying Samsung? Certainly not!

    https://www.wareable.com/samsung/samsung-galaxy-watch-4-to-get-blood-glucose-tracking-this-year-8277


    "Drinking the Kool-Aid" is not really healthy.

    While you might disagree with his comment, it was in no way "childish".   The insult was unnecessary and uncalled for.
    dysamoriaStrangeDaysjony0
  • Reply 16 of 20
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    2022?  Next year?
    The Apple Watch has a history of a major functional upgrade each year (although that has been slowing down as the watch matures).

    So, without glucose monitoring in this September's release (only 4 months away!), what will be the enhancement that entices people to upgrade?
    5G comes to mind.   But I suspect that the size of the device as well as its battery will preclude the addition of a 5G modem.

    Or perhaps, it will simply be upgrades to existing components.  It seems that my series 4 could use a better processor and modem.   It's sometimes hesitant to send a dictated message (it requires multiple taps) and it's slow downloading music to stream.   So, I'll likely be trading it in for a Series 7 regardless.


    edited May 2021 llama
  • Reply 17 of 20
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,625member
    sflocal said:
    The day that Apple makes a watch that can reliably monitor blood glucose is the day AAPL really goes to the moon.  It will establish Apple as a serous medical device company and cement the Apple Watch as a key device for non-invasive blood-glucose monitoring.  The opportunity is HUGE.

    Good luck copying that reliably Samsung.
    It would represent a major breakthrough but this isn't just an Apple thing. The entire industry has been working on this for decades and long before Apple.

    There is anecdotal evidence that we are very close to seeing such a device this year. Then others will not be far behind.

    Whoever gets a product out of the gate first will enjoy an ever so slight commercial advantage. Then it will be a case of precision which in many cases isn't actually what users need as an absolute reading. As long as the device is calibrated, the user will be more than happy to detect which way blood glucose levels are going before the situation reaches an extreme (especially in cases of insulin resistance, neuropathologies, and falling levels during sleep). 

    Then a regular pin prick can be used as confirmation. This is actually still recommended even for 'invasive' CGM.

    Last year, during a watch presentation by Huawei, Richard Yu accidentally said it had glucose monitoring before quickly correcting himself. 

    It's the kind of slip up that just doesn't come out by itself. He probably has a finished product he is already testing and rumours this year have simply added weight to the idea. 

    I'm optimistic that we won't have long to wait now. 


  • Reply 18 of 20
    ravnorodomravnorodom Posts: 692member
    dk49 said:
    gerard said:
    Was hoping that upgrade was happening this year. Will be waiting until then to upgrade my 5
    I have been facing this dilemma for quite some time now. When I was ready to buy series 4, there were rumours of always on display in next version, then there were rumours of blood oxygen measurement in the next one (that was already long due), now there are rumours of blood pressure and glucose monitoring in the upcoming versions..makes it difficult to take the plunge at any time! 

    I hope they add body temperature measuring sensor too! 
    Body temperature measuring? That's a very cool idea. Just point the Apple Watch 1-inch over my forehead and it reads my temperature.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    2022?  Next year?
    The Apple Watch has a history of a major functional upgrade each year (although that has been slowing down as the watch matures).

    So, without glucose monitoring in this September's release (only 4 months away!), what will be the enhancement that entices people to upgrade?
    5G comes to mind.   But I suspect that the size of the device as well as its battery will preclude the addition of a 5G modem.

    Or perhaps, it will simply be upgrades to existing components.  It seems that my series 4 could use a better processor and modem.   It's sometimes hesitant to send a dictated message (it requires multiple taps) and it's slow downloading music to stream.   So, I'll likely be trading it in for a Series 7 regardless.


    Yes please to faster music downloads!
  • Reply 20 of 20
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    dk49 said:
    gerard said:
    Was hoping that upgrade was happening this year. Will be waiting until then to upgrade my 5
    I have been facing this dilemma for quite some time now. When I was ready to buy series 4, there were rumours of always on display in next version, then there were rumours of blood oxygen measurement in the next one (that was already long due), now there are rumours of blood pressure and glucose monitoring in the upcoming versions..makes it difficult to take the plunge at any time! 

    I hope they add body temperature measuring sensor too! 
    Body temperature measuring? That's a very cool idea. Just point the Apple Watch 1-inch over my forehead and it reads my temperature.
    I’m hoping the AirPods Pro 2 get that feature also. They might be a little more accurate. 
    ravnorodom
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