Although smartphones have a considerable list of sensors, Google decided last year to add one more to its Pixel 8 Pro. temperature sensor: We had the opportunity to test it and were surprised by its accuracy.
Now, with their newly announced successors (there are two “Pro” models this year), the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL include it again. However, they can be too expensive if you want to use only said sensor, which is why researchers have found a way to measure body temperature with any phone using an alternative method.
‘FeverPhone’ Promises to Measure Your Temperature Without the Need for a Thermometer
If you own a Pixel 8 Pro, you probably know about its built-in temperature sensor: it’s located on the back, as is also the case in the refreshed Pixel 9 Pro, and is able to measure the ambient temperature. temperature of objects and people in a most curious process.
The sensor is once again present on Google mobile phones, a striking decision, since it is not part of the basic features, much less requested for a smartphone. In any case, some researchers thought that this sensor was not necessary and managed to develop an application to measure the temperature.
Thus, all smartphones meet the technical requirements for calculating users’ body temperature. The application was named “FeverPhone”and although it has not been made public, it is more than prepared to achieve its goal.
This is how accurate the Pixel 8 Pro’s built-in thermometer was in our tests. Image by Iván Linares for Xataka Android
In fact, the researchers say they have been testing for months in the lab, and then on patients who come to emergency health centers with feverish symptoms. So, thanks to the internal temperature sensors built into our cell phones (which calculate the heat of their components), this task is being undertaken.
How does the process work? It’s not really very quick: it involves pressing your forehead against the touch screen for a few moments. 90 seconds
The degree of reliability is quite high: it has a average deviation of 0.2 degreesidentical to that of a standard clinical thermometer. This level was achieved after extensive training on the calculations the app performs to detect fever.
At the moment it is still in development and the aforementioned application has not been released. We must continue to wait to try it, even if expectations are high. Of course, even with its high level of reliability, it can never be considered a medical instrument, as is the case with our smartwatch.
By | Xataka Mobile, GoogleWatchBlog
In Xataka Android | Redmi Note 13 vs Samsung Galaxy A: Duel of cheap and good cell phones