Google update adds a useful health feature to the Pixel 8 Pro
The Google Pixel 8 Pro can now measure body temperature. Previously, the phone’s temperature sensor could only scan objects while Google waited FDA approval for body temperature functionality – that approval has now been granted.
The sensor was one of the features touted when the Pixel 8 Pro was announced in October. But at the phone’s launch, the sensor could only measure the temperature of objects, not people. Now, measuring body temperature is one of the new updates included in the latest feature drop, with Google calling it a “medical feature.”
Users can scan their forehead with the pre-installed thermometer app, and the temperature data is then saved to their Fitbit profile, adding an extra layer of information for health-conscious users. Please note that the feature is only available on the Pixel 8 Pro. The update is rolling out now, but it may take a few weeks for the update to reach your phone.
The Pixel 8 Pro is believed to use the Melexis MLX90632 temperature sensor, and Google claims it can detect heat up to 392F/200C or as cold as -4F/-20C by measuring the infrared radiation emitted by the subject.
According to a Reddit userthe thermal infrared sensor may also have some difficulty reading from shiny or reflective surfaces or in high humidity, and may receive interference from other sources that could confuse the sensor unless Google has taken specific steps to correct these issues since the Pixel 8 Pro edition.
This is the first time Google has included a temperature sensor in its Pixel range. Google claims the feature has many practical applicationsincluding feeding babies, checking on pets, checking bath temperatures, scanning appliances for overheating and seeing if cooked food has cooled.
Only time will tell whether the temperature sensor proves to be a valuable health tool or a gimmick – and whether we’ll see its widespread application in other devices, or whether it will eventually make it to market. Google graveyard.