There is an infrared temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro. What is the purpose of the temperature sensor on the Pixel 8 Pro? Google hasn’t said much about this unusual feature on a $1,000 flagship phone.
The Pixel 8 Pro can use its temperature sensor to check the temperature of things like cooking pans and baby bottles. This can tell you if something is too hot or cold. However, the temperature sensor cannot directly measure your body temperature right now. Here’s why:
The temperature sensor works by using infrared light to read temperatures. It can read the temperature of objects placed close to the sensor. Google says in the future, they want the temperature sensor to take your temperature and save it to your Fitbit account.
However, devices are only allowed to measure and report body temperature if approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is because body temperature information is private medical data. Google needs FDA approval before letting the Pixel 8 Pro app share your temperature readings with you.
Without this approval, the temperature sensor can only take the surface temperatures of your skin, not your true core body temperature. Surface temperatures vary and don’t always match how you really feel. Accurate body temperature readings need to be done a certain way.
Getting FDA approval takes a long time. It can be over a year before a device is cleared to share medical data. Google may be adding the sensor now to track body changes over time. This data could then help with illness prediction or activity tracking someday.
For now, the temperature sensor is a fun trick! But it has limits until Google gets the necessary paperwork from health authorities. Only time will tell what benefits this sensor may unlock in future Pixel models.
