Health tech company Abbott is working on several biometric wearables for regular consumers. Now, we can get our hands on one. The company recently released the Lingo continuous glucose monitor.
It’s an over-the-counter device, so you can order it without any prior approval. However, it’s not for diabetics, as it’s not designed for an insulin pump or serious medical alerts. Rather, it’s for curious people who want to keep track of their glucose levels.
Here’s how it works. The biosensor sticks to the back of the hand and can stay there for up to 14 consecutive days. During that time, the device continuously streams glucose data to the associated smartphone app. This should, in theory, translate to “the body’s response to food, exercise, and life’s daily stresses.”
The app looks particularly robust, providing access to all sorts of related health metrics. There are glucose graphs that update in real time and something called the Lingo Count, which displays data related to glucose spikes.
There’s even a place for food and activity logging and the app automatically syncs with Apple Health to track workouts. Once there’s enough information in the system, it will provide customized recommendations and create challenges to encourage healthy habits.
Each Lingo biosensor costs $49, but they only work for two weeks and aren’t reusable. The company is offering combo packs, with two sensors available for $89 and six for $249.
Abbott’s Lingo device isn’t the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor on the market. A company called Dexcom received FDA approval for a similar sensor earlier this year. The company’s Stello glucose biosensor is also $89 for two units, each of which works for two weeks.
It’s worth noting that there’s little evidence to suggest these types of glucose monitors are actually useful. Additionally, there’s not much to suggest there’s even any meaningful way to “optimize” blood sugar.
With Identity Check enabled, you’ll need to provide “explicit biometric authentication” to access certain account and phone settings, such as changing your PIN or disabling theft protection. You’ll need to turn the feature on in Settings and add trusted places where you don’t want biometric authentication enabled before you can use it. Google says the protection also extends to your Google account or Samsung account, making it difficult for someone to change your password just because they have your phone.
Identity Check is rolling out to Google’s Pixel devices running Android 15 right now, and is also coming to Samsung Galaxy devices capable of running One UI 7 in the coming weeks, which could start as soon as the Galaxy S7 launches on February 25. Other Android phone makers should get the feature later this year.
With the release of Identity Check, Google says its Theft Detection Lock feature, which uses AI to detect if your phone has been forcibly taken from you and locks your screen, is now fully rolled out on devices running Android 10 and above. Both settings are perfectly worth enabling if you have a phone that supports them.