The Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra already offer a similar feature
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 largely shares the same internals as the Watch 4 with only some minor tweaks. As for the Pro model, it packs the same internals, albeit in a rugged chassis that can take on any terrain possible. And thanks to the larger chassis, it also packs a bigger battery allowing it to provide multi-day battery life. Both these smartwatches also pack an IR-based temperature sensor, but it has remained inactive so far. Eight months since the Galaxy Watch 5 series went on sale, Samsung is finally activating the wearable’s temperature sensor, but it may not benefit you.
Samsung is enabling the Galaxy Watch 5’s temperature sensor for better cycle tracking. Since the menstrual phase affects the basal body temperature, it can help females accurately predict their next period. The smartwatch’s temperature sensor will automatically record your basal temperature daily and track skin temperature changes to provide a more accurate estimate of when your next period will begin.
The Korean giant has partnered with Natural Cycles to power the Cycle Tracking feature in Samsung Health. It first announced this partnership in February 2023. As for why the delay in enabling the temperature sensor? Samsung had to obtain regulatory approval from Korea’s MFDS, the FDA in the US, and CE in Europe before it could offer skin-based temperature tracking. It was a similar story when the company initially added ECG capabilities to its Galaxy Watch lineup.
Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra also use their built-in temperature sensor to provide more accurate menstruation cycle predictions.
The temperature-based cycle tracking feature will roll out in Korea, the US, and 30 European countries starting today via a Samsung Health update. Once you receive the update, you can activate the feature by enabling Cycle Tracking in Samsung Health and enabling the Predict period with skin temp option in settings. For privacy reasons, Samsung encrypts and saves all data locally on your device.
