Deepinder Goyal Throws a Challenge to the Apple Watch

Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has made a bold claim about his new wearable technology startup, Temple, stating that it delivers more accurate heart rate tracking than leading devices, including the Apple Watch Series 12. Designed specifically for professional and elite athletes, Temple aims to address a common problem with conventional fitness trackers: inaccurate heart rate readings during high-intensity workouts. Goyal says optical sensors used in wrist- and finger-based wearables often struggle to capture reliable data during intense training, particularly in heart rate Zones 4 and 5, which are crucial for athletes.

To support these claims, Temple reportedly tested five leading wearable devices — Apple Watch Series 12, Garmin FR970, Fitbit Air, WHOOP MG and Oura Ring 5 — against a Polar H10 chest strap. The company used a taped chest strap to prevent contact loss during sprinting and compared the devices using second-by-second data. According to Temple's internal study, its wearable recorded the lowest error margin from resting conditions to peak physical effort. The company claims it even performed better than an untaped Polar H10 in Zones 4 and 5. The Apple Watch Series 12 reportedly came closest among the competing wearables, while the Oura Ring 5 recorded comparatively higher errors. However, these findings are based on the company's own tests and have not yet been independently verified.

Goyal attributes Temple's claimed accuracy to two key design features. The device uses medical-grade adhesive to stay firmly attached to the skin, reducing movement and contact-related errors. It is also worn on the side of the head, between the forehead and ear, where it sits over the temporal artery. Priced at Rs. 85,000, Temple opened pre-orders on November 1, 2026, with initial shipments expected within three months under a made-to-order model. Along with heart rate tracking, it measures cerebral blood flow through a feature called “BrainFlow” and physiological strain through “Entropy”. The company has also offered to fund independent research teams to test its claims under broader conditions.