Deepinder Goyal says Temple beats Apple Watch Series 12, but urges some buyers to wait

A fitness wearable is only as useful as the health data it captures, particularly during demanding workouts. Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal says his Temple device outperformed five flagship wearables, including Apple Watch Series 12, in a company-run heart rate accuracy test. The claim puts the ₹85,000 forehead-mounted wearable in competition with established fitness trackers. But Goyal is also asking sceptical buyers to wait for independent testing, even as pre-orders are open in India. Temple’s October 31 research paper details the claim, although its testing conditions and funding disclosures are important context before deciding whether the device is worth buying.

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Temple claims lower heart rate tracking error

Temple’s study involved 43 healthy adults aged 20 to 35, who ran on an indoor treadmill wearing six devices. A Polar H10 ECG chest strap taped to the skin served as the reference, while another was worn normally.

Temple recorded a mean absolute error of 1.18 beats per minute (bpm), against 1.94 bpm for Apple Watch Series 12, 2.96 for Fitbit Air, 3.14 for WHOOP MG, 3.18 for Garmin Forerunner 970 and 5.21 for Oura Ring 5. Its error in high-intensity heart rate Zones 4 and 5 was 1.16 bpm. Temple attributes its performance to its adhesive design and sensor placement near the temple.

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However, Temple Private Limited funded, conducted and analysed the study. It was not a clinical trial and covered treadmill running only, not cycling, strength training or outdoor running. Participants’ skin tones ranged from 1 to 6 on the Monk Skin Tone Scale. Goyal has urged sceptics to await independent validation and said the company would fund replication efforts.

Temple price and return policy

Temple costs ₹85,000, including a lifetime subscription. Pre-orders opened on November 1, with delivery expected in about three months under its made-to-order model. You can request a refund until shipment, and six colours are planned. After website traffic issues, Goyal directed buyers to the Temple app before confirming that the website was back online.

Temple currently offers a 14-day, no-questions-asked return policy in India. However, Goyal is considering ending it, following Apple’s approach. He has also advised people to prioritise sleep, a balanced diet, strength training, sprinting, and daily walking before spending on advanced fitness trackers.