Pixel phones will soon be able to offer users breathing rate and heart rate measurements through their smartphone’s cameras. At the tail end of a final Fitbit acquisition, Google has just announced a Google Fit upgrade that will bring the most important measurement features to the company’s non-portable mobile devices next month.
This camera-based vital gives people who do not own a Fitbit or other Wear OS smartwatch a way to regularly check their health data at home. With this update, the Pixel’s front-facing camera will use a combination of your chest movement patterns and AI to deliver a respiratory reading that, according to Google, is accurate within one breath per minute.
Meanwhile, the rear camera will be able to detect subtle color changes in your skin if your fingertip is held over the lens, which can provide a pulse. According to Google, the algorithm is accurate within 2%, based on the company’s test.
It’s important to note that the Google Fit team has tested these features on a wide range of skin tones. In the past, Google’s biometric scanners have struggled with racial bias, so it’s reassuring to learn that the team has collected diverse data for its vital measurement algorithms.
Users can take readings in the Google Fit app. The UI will guide you by placing your phone so that you are properly in the frame. As far as privacy is concerned, your recording is not stored anywhere. Only the final measurement will be added to your Google Fit dashboard.
These measurements are not intended to replace the doctor or any other FDA-approved health instrument you normally use. You are encouraged to monitor your readings so that you know how to identify an irregular measurement and seek medical help if necessary.
Google is not the first company to use smartphone cameras for health measurements. Amazon’s Halo Activity Tracking and Wellness Service takes your BMI readings through the front camera of your phone. However, using this feature requires that you own the physical Amazon Halo tire.
The advantage of the Halo band, or any other of the best fitness trackers or the best smartwatches, is the continuous measurement of certain vital signs. Manual tests are required to take heart or breathing rate measurements through a Pixel camera.
If you are interested in learning more about your body and general well-being, a portable feature has more than your phone. That said, this Google Fit upgrade gives people who cannot or do not want a wrist-based device an accessible alternative to check their vitality.
The new feature will make the Pixel’s already amazing camera even more capable when it’s put into use next month. Google is working to bring this new Google Fit tool to the app on smartphones as well. So one question remains: does this camera-based vital bring us closer to a Google Pixel Watch?