I guess everyone hopes the Pixel 8 Pro’s infrared sensor does more than just temperature. Camera apps are the big wish, but we don’t have evidence to support that yet.
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As such, let’s say the new Pixel 8 Pro addition out of left field is for health only — well, that leaves many unanswered questions.
For starters, what is the value of being able to take your actual temperature? Elevated temperatures are a good indicator of disease and inform when to hide and isolate. It is especially beneficial during the fall and winter flu seasons, as well as during epidemics.
Some experts believe epidemics are possible will only increase Due to deforestation and animal extinction, as well Climate change. It’s an uncomfortable notion, but it’s a sound argument Google might make to justify this feature. I’m sure there’s a sober way to state this under the guise of precautions, but it would be very strange for a consumer electronics company to do that. It better come from Fitbit.
(Speaking of Fitbit, I’m surprised Google feels phones need this feature. Right now, Fitbit wearables only vary skin temperature overnight, which doesn’t provide an accurate measurement. Fitbit Sense 2 has a temperature sensor Actual but it doesn’t give a reading, just fluctuations.Apple Watch Series 8 works deep in Apple Health, but it’s not really meant to pop up and read like that.From that, it looks like wearables may finally be able to take a temperature Accurate readings that actually happen in the background and require no manual action.)
Meanwhile, temperature tracking is useful for cycle tracking as Apple uses wrist readings to provide it Retrospective ovulation estimates and improved period predictions. “
Going deeper into the mechanics, what application will be responsible for the measurements? Will it be built into the Fitbit app, or will there be some kind of system tool dedicated to taking readings and displaying data? Google will also have to take into account that this device, like actual thermometers, is likely to be shared. Is there a multi-user Day 1 experience that takes into account readings that aren’t your own but that you still want to preserve, like your family? There should also be an almost incognito-like mode for friends who want to get an instant read because they know you have a Pixel 8 Pro.
Always having a thermometer on your device is really nice for instant readings. The fact that the score can be plotted automatically and never lost is also a novelty for finding trends that can mesh with other health data, such as step count and distance, as Pixel phones also offer sleep tracking.
However, for there to be trends, it is assumed that readings must be taken at consistent times and body conditions. Out of my head, after you wake up might be the best period to be in the same state. Will reading a day be enough? If you have to take multiple times it can become stressful, especially if it has to be spread out and sometimes needs to happen when you are not in the comfort of your own home. We’ve seen that taking a reading can only take five seconds. The process of doing this isn’t particularly weird, but I still wouldn’t want to do it in public.
Another consideration is how consistent people are with taking daily recordings, even if they are asked to do so. Data may be useful in hindsight, but if they don’t get some value from it in the short term, I might see that habit not forming.
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