Korea unveils 'world's first micro-thermometer for smartphones'. According to the Korean Herald, it can measure body temperature in 0.5 seconds. Note that there are many applications in App Store and Google Play that claim a similar function, but they have not stood the test.
In this case, an integrated microelectromechanical sensor (i-MEMS) is used. With it, you can determine the temperature of any object in the range from -40 to 200 degrees Celsius. The manufacturer does not specify about animals, but given that their body temperature falls within this range, it is likely that the device will work on them as well.
The system is installed under the back cover of the smartphone, and the sensor comes out through a special hole. This is done on purpose so that the temperature of the device itself does not affect the measurement results. An important feature of the technology is that it is contactless. This not only excludes the possibility of catching an infection, but also expands the possibilities of application. Unlike a conventional mercury or electronic thermometer, the range of use is not limited to measuring the temperature of the human body.
Note that while we are not talking about adding such a function to any existing smartphone at the request of the user. Most likely, this development is used in one of the flagships – most likely in the Samsung Galaxy or Nexus. The good news here is that if the technology takes root, then after a while it will be added to more budget models. We have already seen this picture in the case of the fingerprint scanner and dual cameras.