Rumored Apple Watch Non-Invasive Blood Sugar Reader May Still be ‘Years Away’

The Apple Watch has found a nice niche as being a health accessory, as well as a watch and fitness tracker, and Apple’s plans for the wearable continue to expand with new features.

One of those expectations is a non-invasive glucose monitor, which Apple has been rumored to be working on for quite some time now. Indeed, back in April of this year it was reported that a “secret team” was working on a non-invasive blood sugar monitor for the smartwatch, and now The New York Times reported this week that Apple is still hard at work on the effort, but that it may be some time before we see any physical results:

“Separately, Apple is continuing research on a noninvasive continuous glucose reader, according to two people with knowledge of the project. The technology is still considered to be years away, industry experts said.”

According to the report, Apple’s plans for this feature have been in development, in varying stages, for years — even dating back to before Steve Jobs passed away. Unnamed sources speaking with the publication revealed that Apple was even planning on including the non-invasive glucose reader in the first generation Apple Watch, but that obviously didn’t turn out. The reason for that change was either due to constraints on battery life, other features, or the feature was simply too unreliable.

Apple’s health goals also extend to other important features, including a rumored built-in EKG heart monitor, which was just recently rumored as arriving in the next iteration of the smartwatch.

If you have an Apple Watch, what other health-related features would you like to see Apple add?