Among the myriad features that theGoogle Pixel 8 Propossesses, there are a few that can be considered undercooked. The Pro-exclusive temperature sensor is one example, as it can only measure the temperature of surfaces and inanimate objects but can’t quite fetch our body temperature just yet, not accurately anyway. Google has sought FDA approval for measuring body temperature on the Pixel 8 Pro, and we’re now learning how it would manage the measurements when combined with the Pixel Thermometer app, thanks to an APK teardown of the latest Fitbit app.
Snippets within Fitbitversion4.06.7reveal how the Pixel 8 Pro’s Thermometer app could be used to sync data with Fitbit, thanks to some digging by9to5Google. The site speculates that Fitbit users might see a card in theTodaytab with the following text - “Use your phone’s thermometer to take your temperature.”
Additional text uncovered within the app gives further context on how data sync would work between the Pixel Thermometer app and Fitbit, including a potential Google Account sign-in. Much like other stats on Fitbit, users will also supposedly receive graphs detailing their temperature readings over a period of time.
The folks at 9to5 point to more clarification within the app to help differentiate between skin temperature and body temperature:
“Body temperature is taken by a thermometer and reflects the temperature inside your body. Skin temperature variation is the fluctuation in temperature taken from your wrist while you sleep.”
The latter in this scenario is already available to owners of wearables like thePixel Watch 2. Last among the features spotted within Fitbit 4.06.7 is the ability to manually log temperature data into the app, per 9to5Google.
In its current form, the Thermometer app cannot measure body temperature, even while using theFood & organicmeasurement option. However, as Android expertKamila Wojciechowskapointed out in October, adding 4 C or 7.2 F to the reading can help you get somewhere close to the actual measurement.
Although this method seems simple enough, it would be infinitely better if the Pixel 8 Pro could make this calculation independently. It’s worth pointing out that we couldn’t accurately replicate Wojciechowska’s methodon our Pixel 8 Pro, compared alongside an oral thermometer.
But we may not need these workarounds when the regulator clears the Pixel 8 Pro’s sensor for body temperature measurements. Google could then make all the necessary software changes to take full advantage of the onboard hardware. Since the necessary tech is exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro right now, the FDA approval could also give Google enough motivation to bundle the temperature sensor in upcoming Pixel devices, hopefully starting with thePixel 8anext year.
