The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro come with a host of health features, but do they offer blood glucose monitoring as well?

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro come with a host of health features, but do they offer blood glucose monitoring as well? Following a slew of leaks, rumors, and speculations over several weeks, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro in August with a number of improvements over the Galaxy Watch 4 series. Like last year, the Galaxy Watch 5 series comprises two main models, but instead of the Classic variant, Samsung launched a Pro model this year that comes with a more durable build and a larger battery capacity, making it better suited to outdoor use.

The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro will go up against Apple's upcoming Watch Series 8, which is expected to be announced in early September alongside the iPhone 14 series. While the new Samsung smartwatches ship with a boatload of sensors and new features, they're likely to be matched in most aspects by Apple's next-gen smartwatches. The Apple Watch is widely used for health tracking by amateur athletes and fitness enthusiasts, but recent reports suggest that even Olympic athletes are using it for training and fitness monitoring. Samsung will be hoping that the latest features in its new watches will help it bridge the gap with the Apple Watch.

Related: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Vs. Galaxy Watch 4: Is It Worth The Upgrade?

The Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro come with a plethora of sensors, but unfortunately, neither offer blood glucose monitoring. Rumors leading up to the launch of the Galaxy Watch 4 last year suggested that it could offer blood glucose monitoring, but that didn't happen. Some had hoped that Samsung would introduce the feature this year, but that didn't turn out to be the case either. It will be interesting to see if the feature makes its way to the Galaxy Watch 6 next year or if buyers will have to wait longer.

Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is a relatively new technique and one that is yet to be introduced by any mainstream smart wearable. It is widely believed that the feature will work through a method called Raman spectroscopy, which uses a laser to identify the chemical composition of blood glucose through the skin. It is a painless procedure, as it doesn't require drawing blood, unlike traditional blood glucose monitoring methods.

It is worth noting that the Apple Watch has also long been rumored to introduce the blood glucose monitoring feature, but more recent reports suggest that it's unlikely to happen until 2024. As for the Galaxy Watch 5 series, it still offers plenty of sensors and health-tracking features, including a Bio-Electrical Impedance sensor, ECG, PPG, SpO2, and blood pressure monitor. In addition, the Galaxy Watch 5 also comes with a temperature sensor that can be used for period tracking.

Kishalaya has almost a decade's worth of experience in tech journalism, having written thousands of news, guides, features, and reviews for multiple American, Canadian, and Indian blogs. As a senior writer at ScreenRant, he covers everything from consumer electronics to artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies to virtual reality, and electric vehicles to space. Entertainment to him means 90s sitcoms, such as Fresh Prince, Home Improvement, Seinfeld, Friends, That 70s Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. He loves dogs, sports, and pizza (in that order) and can listen to The Doors, Def Leppard, Metallica, and Guns N' Roses all day long. He also loves watching cheesy 90s sci-fi/disaster movies like Independence Day, Armageddon, Twister, Volcano, Dante's Peak, etc.