The Google Pixel 8 Pro came with a built-in thermometer when it was released last year. It seemed a strange move by Google to include a thermometer in its new top Pixel phone, given that COVID-19 is almost finished. Even worse, the sensor could only be used to check the temperature of food and other items. The FDA permission was still pending for the corporation, so it could not be used on humans. The temperature measurement feature of the Pixel 8 Pro was updated to function on people with the unexpected January Pixel Feature Drop. And if you were dismissing this function as a gimmick or doubting its validity, rethink. The Pixel 8’s body temperature feature, according to Google, is more precise than forehead thermometers.

Google has provided further information about the sensor and its implementation in a post on The Keyword blog regarding the Pixel 8 Pro’s body temperature tracking capability. About five years ago, Google’s technical lead for research and development, Ravi Narasimhan, created the first tiny infrared sensor device for taking body temperatures. Then, with the help of LiDAR and infrared sensors, this device developed into a Pixel phone feature.

According to Google, the Pixel 8 Pro uses its infrared sensor to scan the temporal artery in order to determine your body temperature. An algorithm is used to determine the final temperature using this measurement.

The business claims that this data is more accurate than forehead thermometers, which take the reading from the center of the forehead, citing a National Library of Medicine research as support. To take your temperature, the Pixel must be brushed across your forehead and past the temporal artery, unlike forehead thermometers.

In comparison to an FDA-cleared temporal artery thermometer, the company’s software algorithm was able to determine body temperature with an error margin of ±0.3°C in the range of 96.9°F – 104°F (36.1°C – 40°C) during testing. Because of its accuracy, the FDA De Novo classified the thermometer for the Pixel 8 Pro, after a large-scale clinical validation research. This FDA title is a first for a smartphone sold in the United States.

The wide field of vision of the Pixel 8 Pro’s infrared sensor allows it to detect heat even when the phone is not in proximity to your forehead. But when the phone is within half an inch of your forehead, you will receive the greatest reading.

Google depends on the LDAF sensor in the Pixel 8 Pro to provide precise positioning. When using the Pixel to take your temperature, this is useful. In addition, you will receive hearing instructions and haptic feedback for your inputs. The device processes all data, and the feature functions even in the absence of an internet connection.