Temple beats Apple Watch: Deepinder Goyal says his wearable device delivers better heart rate accuracy

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal has made a significant claim about his wearable startup, Temple. In a post on X, he said the device recorded heart rates more accurately than leading wearables, including the Apple Watch, in a study conducted by the company.

Goyal, who serves as Temple's founder and CEO, said the company aims to develop a wearable designed for elite athletes, with accurate heart rate monitoring as its starting point.

Temple claims better heart rate tracking than Apple Watch

According to Goyal, Temple outperformed several popular wearable devices in heart rate tracking, including the Apple Watch Series 12. The claim is particularly noteworthy because the company reported better results during high-intensity workouts, when obtaining accurate heart rate readings can be more challenging.


Goyal emphasised that measuring heart rate accurately is not as straightforward as it may seem, particularly in Zones 4 and 5. These zones represent high-intensity exercise levels and are especially important for professional athletes monitoring their performance.

"You would think accurate HR (Heart Rate) tracking is a solved problem. It is not. Especially in zones 4 & 5, which matter to professional athletes the most," he wrote.

How Temple tested its heart rate accuracy

For the study, Temple used the Polar H10 chest strap as the reference device against which the other wearables were evaluated. Goyal explained that the strap was taped to the chest because conventional placement can sometimes cause it to lose contact during sprints, potentially resulting in missed heartbeats.

The company compared five flagship wearables against this reference, examining their readings second by second, from resting conditions to maximum physical effort.

According to the charts shared by Goyal, Temple recorded the lowest error levels at rest and across every heart rate zone. The other devices included in the comparison were the Apple Watch, Garmin FR970, Fitbit Air, WHOOP MG and Oura Ring 5.

Why Temple says its design makes a difference

Goyal said the competing wearables recorded significantly higher errors than Temple, with the Apple Watch Series 12 coming closest to his company's device.

He attributed Temple's reported performance to its adhesive-based design and placement on the temple, the area on the side of the forehead.

"Temple uses adhesive, so its lab condition is its wear condition. You'll experience our study outcomes in real life," he said.

Goyal also explained that the temple is located over a major artery and claimed it offers an advantage during intense physical activity because the skin at this location does not restrict blood flow in the same way it does in other areas.

Temple invites independent verification of its findings

The findings are based on an internal study conducted by Temple. Goyal said the company has published the complete research paper and data on its website, while independent researchers are conducting an extended study.

Temple has also invited other researchers to replicate its findings under different conditions and offered to fund such studies.