Samsung announced today that it has received FDA approval for an upcoming irregular heart rhythm notification feature for the Galaxy Watch . This is intended to work alongside the FDA-approved EKG feature and will first arrive on the upcoming Galaxy Watch 6 .
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Functionally, it’s more similar to Fitbit’s passive AFib tracking feature that was introduced last year than the on-the-spot EKG checks that Apple with the Series 4 in 2018. Unlike EKG readings, these irregular heart rate alerts don’t require the wearer to do anything. Once enabled, the Galaxy Watch will monitor for irregular heart rates in the background and will only alert users when a certain number of consecutive readings are found to be irregular. Those users will then be prompted to take an electrocardiogram.
The feature will be part of the upcoming One UI 5 Watch update, which Samsung first announced late last week. In its press release, Samsung says it will come “first to upcoming Galaxy Watch devices later this year” before expanding to previous versions — likely the Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 series. Samsung plans to open a One UI 5 Watch beta later this month for existing Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 users, but it’s unclear whether that will be included as part of the beta.
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Overall, the new feature fits nicely into Samsung's goal of positioning the Galaxy Watch as a more comprehensive health tool, but it's clear that Samsung is still trying to fill the gap.
Most of the One UI 5 Watch — like personalized heart rate zones and improved emergency SOS — are attempts to close the gap with other smartwatch makers. The same is true here. As mentioned, Fitbit introduced a similar feature last year. Apple also introduced an FDA-approved AFib History feature with watchOS 9, which allows people with irregular heart rhythms to track the time they’ve been in AFib.
It's no surprise to see Samsung touting its tech right now. The pressure is on. The Pixel Watch is selling like crazy, to the point where it's the No. 2 smartwatch in the market, and the Pixel Fold will likely add to that pressure. Even though Wear OS 3 has had a rocky start, we'll likely hear some updates about the platform at Google I/O this week. The Android smartwatch space hasn't been this exciting in a while. It seems like now is the right time to subtly remind the world that next-generation Galaxy Watches are on the horizon.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy S23 FE expected to arrive before the end of 2023
source of information:theverge.com
