Bummer! Apple Watch with blood glucose tracking still several years away

Apple Watch's non-invasive (i.e. without having to draw blood) blood glucose measurement feature has been in development for over a decade now. We've been hearing that Apple is "ready" to bring it to market every once in a while. But a new report from reliable Apple leakster Mark Gurman says an Apple Watch with blood glucose monitoring is still several years away from production.

Blood glucose reading in Apple Watch Series

The traditional method of taking blood glucose readings requires one to inject a sample of their blood and send it to a lab. Or using a home kit that still needs a blood sample. Both of which are invasive processes. So you can already imagine that implementing non-invasive blood glucose measurement on a compact device like an Apple Watch is a tricky ordeal. According to Gurman, Apple is likely to use a silicon photonics chip to shine light from a laser through the skin to determine the body's glucose concentration. But the main challenge for the company is fitting this sensor inside the small and slim body of an Apple Watch. And Gurman suggests figuring this out could take another 3-7 years for Apple.

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Why it's so important

If this technology eventually comes to market, it will be able to warn Apple Watch users if they are prediabetic and encourage them to make healthier lifestyle changes to lower the chances of developing diabetes. In case you didn't know, there is currently no cure for diabetes. And it can only be managed through strict dietary plans or regular medications. So, prevention is obviously the best option here. Apple has been working on this technology since 2010. And the project was initiated by Steve Jobs himself after he bought "RareLight". It was a company that envisioned non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. The technology was then being worked on in a secret facility by Avolonte Health LLC before being transferred to the Exploratory Design Group (XDG).

• Meanwhile, check out our review of the Apple Watch Ultra.