Apple has long been rumored to be developing a way to track blood glucose through the Apple Watch, but recent patent filings suggest Garmin could reach the milestone first. Garmin currently has several patent applications in progress related to non-invasive blood glucose tracking on a wearable device, a detail first spotted by Gadgets and Wearables. The non-invasive aspect is significant, since achieving an accurate reading without piercing the skin has remained an unresolved challenge across the wearable technology industry for years.
One of the patents outlines an algorithm designed to address common measurement issues, including how a smartwatch worn too tightly can compress blood vessels and skew the resulting readings. The patent describes pulse spectrometry with pressure compensation, a more complex sensor approach than the ones currently used for heart rate or blood oxygen measurements, given that direct blood glucose readings generally require more advanced near infrared sensors than simpler metrics. If the technology reaches the market this year, it is expected to debut in the upcoming Garmin Fenix 9, though no confirmed release date has been announced.
Apple’s own efforts in this space date back further, with a 2023 Bloomberg report indicating the company has been developing blood glucose tracking technology using optical absorption spectroscopy. As smartwatches already track metrics including heart rate, blood oxygen levels and, more recently, blood pressure, glucose monitoring is widely viewed as a natural next feature for manufacturers looking to encourage consumers to upgrade their devices. Google has taken a related but different approach with its newly released Pixel Watch 5, which includes an Insulin Resistance Trends feature under its Health Guardian suite, though this estimates results based on other health data rather than direct glucose measurement.
Garmin has already had an active year in wearable health technology, having released the Garmin Cirqa, a screenless fitness tracker positioned as its answer to the Whoop Strap. Reports have also pointed to a potential Garmin Cirqa Smart Ring in development, positioning the company to compete more directly with the Oura Ring in the smart ring category. Whether Garmin’s blood glucose patents ultimately translate into a shipping product remains uncertain, but the filings mark a notable step in an area of wearable health tracking that multiple major technology companies are actively racing to solve.
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