Phone Companies Add Health Sensors Despite Limited Utility and Lack of Approval

Device makers are adding health sensors like temperature sensors to smartphones and smartwatches despite limited use cases and lack of regulatory approval.

These new sensors increase costs for consumers but provide little practical benefit in their current restricted form.

Companies hype up these features in marketing without transparency around regulatory restrictions on medical uses.

Consumers have little choice but to accept and pay for unwanted features when buying new devices.

The Pixel 8 Pro's temperature sensor seems gimmicky until Google gets FDA approval for medical uses.