Samsung is inventing a way to measure your body fat through your smartphone

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Our phones can already tell us how many calories we've burned, how far we've walked, and even our heart rate.

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But Samsung wants to take that even further by finding a way to measure body fat through our phones.

A recently published patent application details a type of technology that measures body fat through sensors in your smartphone.

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The drawings in the patent make the process look as simple as holding your finger over a sensor like you would to measure your heart rate through a smartphone.

One drawing, for instance, shows a person gripping the phone with both hands, and moving his arms up and down. The sensors likely draw data from this physical activity to determine your body fat levels.

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SamsungPatent2

World Intellectual Property Organization

It looks like these sensors could be embedded in the phone itself or a case for the phone.

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There's no telling whether or not this technology will ever make it into Samsung's products, however. Tech companies like Samsung, Apple, and Google patent new ideas and technologies all the time, but it doesn't necessarily mean you'll ever be able to use it.

It's also important to remember that just because the technology exists, that doesn't mean it's accurate. There's been debate as to whether or not the results from heart rate monitors in smartphones and fitness bands are actually as precise as the ones you wear around your chest.

After speaking with a cardiologist, CNET reported that these types of sensors are probably satisfactory for people that are just beginning to get into fitness. But for those who are already in great shape, the heart rate monitors found in your smartphone will probably be "disappointing."

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