Apple Watch Series 8 Might Be Able to Tell If You Have a Fever

The upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 will be able to tell a wearer if it believes they have a fever due to a higher than normal body temperature thanks to a new built-in sensor, according to Bloomberg's reliable Mark Gurman.

Apple Watch Series 8 What We Know Feature
Writing in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman says that the Apple Watch Series 8 will feature a new body temperature sensor, given that the sensor passes Apple's internal testing.

Gurman notes, however, that he believes the sensor is "a go" for both the standard Series 8 and a new "rugged model" designed for athletes. Unlike a traditional dedicated thermometer, the Apple Watch will not give users a direct reading of their current body temperature but will instead directly alert users if it believes they have a fever.

You can expect some new health-tracking features in this year's Apple Watch. In April, I reported that Apple has been aiming to add body-temperature detection to its Series 8 model, assuming the capability passes muster during internal testing. I now believe the feature is a go for both the standard Apple Watch Series 8 and a new rugged edition that's aimed at extreme sports athletes.

In January, Gurman said that internal chatter of a body temperature sensor for the Apple Watch Series 8 had slowed down. Since then, enthusiasm for the feature has apparently increased within Apple, helping push development forward. Apple has frequently added new sensors and health capabilities to the Apple Watch, with the last addition being the blood oxygen sensor in the Apple Watch Series 6.

Besides the new body temperature sensor, the Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to maintain the same design as the Apple Watch Series 7, including the same processor as the Series 6 and 7. Gurman today noted that the Apple Watch Series 8 might include updated displays in the higher-end models.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...

Top Rated Comments

dgdosen Avatar
36 months ago
Cmon, Apple - blood sugar, blood pressure or go home...
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jollydogfellow Avatar
36 months ago
Okay, but will it have an internal cowbell?
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jim Lahey Avatar
36 months ago
I prefer the old fashioned way of being sick...feeling sick.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
36 months ago
I just bought the Watch Series 7 for my mom. I’m still on my Series 3 and it does about everything I need. The ability to determine if you have a fever is a welcome addition. Not necessarily a reason to buy an Apple Watch. But if you are exposed to COVID and you are getting exposure alerts, this can help you make a smarter decision about what to do faster.

Overall, I feel like internally, the Apple Watch is starting to hit a brick wall. It’s understandable considering the space. They can’t make it any bigger either since it will start to look too abnormal. Creating newer sensors too seem to be a major challenge.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macalway Avatar
36 months ago
My goodness! A built in thermometer. Now I can be paranoid 24/7.

Thank you Apple!

So many possibilities. Blood pressure, DNA integrity scan.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cognizant. Avatar
36 months ago

A temperature sensor certainly does not hurt anything. I’m thinking it is a reaction to “safety” culture that has pervaded the world the past 30 months.
I can see this being useful to prevent heat stroke while exercising outside ... or just as a warning when being in the sun in general. There's a lot of things this can be used for that you might not realize. I don't understand the hate for these health features.



I have come to the conclusion not to trust the Apple Watch when it comes to health metrics. I once had the AW alert me that I might being having a heart attack and wanted to know if it should call 911? The only problem was it was 6 hours after the fact and at the time I was moving around heavy equipment (which the AW said I wasn't doing anything strenuous ?). So I went into the settings and turned that feature off, I rather someone walk up to my dead body than have it call 911 that isn't a real emergency. ?
And then there's the countless other people that it actually helped prevent things like this. Obviously you shouldn't rely on your watch for everything and should try and be acutely aware of your own personal well being, but that doesn't mean it's not useful to some people.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)