
They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away – and Cupertino's finest are hoping the apple in question is your iPhone in future years. That's according to a recent patent filed by the company, called an "Augmented Reality Calorie Counter".
According to the patent, the system would allow your phone to recognise the sound of chewing and prompt you to take a photo of your food, with your iPhone camera. A process of image recognition would then determine what the food was and tally up the calories eaten.
The patent even suggests that length of chewing time could be registered, to consider how well digested the food in question is. A flowchart for the process suggests that the image of the food and the length of chewing time would allow the system to determine a volume of consumed food, and register a blood glucose level for the change.
Frankly, it sounds like something straight out of a dystopian nightmare. Before we even tackle the ethical and moral considerations, the idea of picking up a snack and being prompted to snap a picture for your iPhone's AR brain to do some maths on is undeniably bizarre. Forget snapping a picture of that meal for Instagram, this one's for Apple Health...
It's not hard to think of a scenario where this could be useful, though. I can see this being a nicely integrated solution for fitness freaks who want to track every morsel as they train for their goals. Likewise, there would surely be the potential for this to be used in tracking sugar levels for diabetics, or even warning of potential allergies in a meal.
But arguably the biggest stumbling block for this technology has to come from a point of ethics. Because for anyone who suffers with an eating disorder, the additional pressure could have all kinds of unnecessary negative repercussions.
I'm certain there would be an opt-in required to use it – that's if it ever makes it into the consumer world. But even so, it seems like an unwarranted invasion of privacy.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
To quote Jurassic Park, "your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should."
Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.
-
T3 Luxury Month 2025: the greatest luxurious gadgets you need for your home
From watches to cars, T3 is rounding up the best of the best for Luxury Month
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
This Switch 2 news will change how I use my console completely, and I can't wait
Sharing digital games is changing
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Your next MacBook Pro could be a game-changer for three good reasons
Apple will reportedly upgrade next year's MacBook Pro in three major ways
By Rik Henderson Published
-
M5 iPad Pro on schedule for release this year, claims expert
Apple's best tablet is reportedly getting even more power in late 2025
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
New evidence suggests Apple's taking its foldable iPhone seriously
And it might bring something different to the party too
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
iOS 19's new design leaks straight after WWDC 25 announcement
This could be a significant change
By Sam Cross Published
-
EU paves the way for iPhones and Android devices to ditch USB-C entirely
Clarification enables Apple, Samsung and others to switch to wireless charging only
By Rik Henderson Published
-
Apple's first foldable could come with an unexpected feature, claims expert
If it ends up being true, we'd be absolutely fine with it.
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Google's Pixel 9a does one simple thing that could tempt me away from iPhones after a decade
Google's played a blinder here
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Apple could have two Studio Displays in the pipeline, but there's mystery behind the second
The great Apple monitor mystery – is Apple making two Studio Displays or something even bigger?
By Carrie Marshall Published