Fitbit isn't being shy about challenging Apple Watch at its own game. The maker of many of the best fitness trackers just announced a new blood glucose-monitoring tool for the Fitbit app — a feature that's rumored to materialize with the Apple Watch 7 expected later this year.
According to a blog post, Fitbit's take on blood sugar tracking requires manual data entry from users in the Fitbit app or automatic input from a separate glucose monitoring app. The upcoming Apple Watch, on the other hand, is rumored to offer native non-invasive blood glucose monitoring. Still, props to Fitbit for launching the tool now and expanding the company's holistic suite of health management metrics even further.
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Smartwatches like the stress-detecting, temperature-reading Fitbit Sense could already read blood oxygen (SpO2) levels and track your daily habits. But now any Fitbit user with diabetes or other conditions that require blood glucose monitoring can enter or import their readings, then view them alongside their activity, nutrition and sleep data.
Users who manually enter their data can also send reminders to their Fitbit device when it's time to log their blood sugar. Those who use OneTouch Reveal from LifeScan to monitor their blood glucose levels can pair their account with the Fitbit app to automatically import readings. Fitbit says compatibility with other meters and apps is coming soon.
Fitbit Premium users will also get expanded tools that analyze blood glucose level trends over time, including how often glucose levels fall in their target range within a 30-day period. Your Fitbit Health Coach can use your blood glucose levels to better inform your customized action plan as well, if you use that feature.
It's important to reiterate that Fitbit's blood glucose tracking tool is not a replacement for invasive readings pulled from finger pricks or on-body pumps. Rather, it's a means to place your readings in context with the rest of the health and wellness metrics your Fitbit device collects.
Currently, Apple Watch users with certain blood glucose monitoring apps can sync their data with Apple Health or manually input readings. The same goes for Samsung Galaxy Watch users and Samsung Health. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is believed to get on-board blood sugar readings like the Apple Watch 7, however.
Fitbit introducing blood glucose metrics for its app could mean the company is gearing up to introduce non-invasive, on-wrist readings for an upcoming smartwatch, too. We haven't heard any whispers about a Fitbit Sense 2 yet, but blood glucose readings could be a logical upgrade. That's just speculation, though.
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