The next Apple Watch could get a bit sweaty, according to new patent documents submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office. First reported by Techcrunch, the Cupertino-based tech giant is seeking to patent tech on its next line of flagship smartwatches to track users’ perspiration levels via electrodes sat beneath the device.
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The Apple Watch is no stranger to health-tracking tech within its hardware — it can determine your blood oxygen levels, calories, and even your wrist temperature. This new sweat upgrade, which is still pending patent approval, is meant for hydration management; it tracks your fluid rate. Sweating a lot? Drink more water.
Perspiration tech isn’t new, but it’s groundbreaking among popular smartwatch lines on the market. There are already patches and sensors that can send information to your Apple Watch about your sweat, so the idea is to store that tech in the device itself instead of relying on a third party.
There are also some questions about potential false positives if a user is caught out on a rainy day or decides to take a swim in the pool. The data gathered from you also might be an “always on” feature if another Apple patent filed in 2021 is to be believed, which raises questions regarding privacy.
