Samsung’s smartwatches are already known for their impressive health and wellness features, but the company is not resting on its laurels. It has announced that it will soon launch a new tool that can detect sleep apnea, a serious condition that affects millions of Americans, on select Galaxy Watch models in the US.
The tool, which was approved for use in South Korea a few months ago, may have escaped your notice, but it deserves your attention now, especially in light of a recent report that claimed Apple is developing a similar feature for its upcoming wearable devices.
How soon can you use the tool?
Samsung’s sleep apnea detection tool may give Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 6 series users in the US an edge over Apple Watch users, as the latter may have to wait until the Apple Watch Series 10 is released (with or without a functional and FDA-authorized sleep apnea detection tool) to enjoy the same technology and improve their sleep quality. Interestingly, Samsung did not specify which products (or any other products) will support the tool today, but in its home country, it said that only the last two Galaxy Watch generations will have sleep apnea availability in “early 2024.”
When will the tool be available in the US?
Samsung plans to activate the sleep apnea detection tool in its own Health Monitor app sometime in the “third quarter”, which may seem like a long time away, but it should still beat Apple to the market. Samsung is cautious to add a lot of disclaimers to today’s announcement, emphasizing that your Galaxy Watch should not replace a “traditional method of diagnosis and treatment by a qualified clinician.” It is also important to note that the sleep apnea tool in the Samsung Health Monitor app is only recommended for people over the age of 22 who have not been diagnosed with this very serious medical condition, which reportedly affects at least 25 percent of all men and 10 percent of women in the US.
What does the tool do?
The tool aims to detect possible signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can then be “traditionally” confirmed (or ruled out) by a medical professional and treated accordingly. OSA can cause a person to stop breathing while sleeping, which can lead to “increased daytime fatigue” and also raise the risk of developing more serious health problems like hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia, and stroke, especially if left undetected and untreated for a long time.
How reliable is the tool?
Getting authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for any feature of this kind is obviously a big deal, but the agency’s De Novo label granted to Samsung’s sleep apnea detection tool does not necessarily mean that the technology is proven to be reliable and accurate in all situations. This label is usually used for “low- to moderate-risk” devices that have no “substantial equivalent” on the market. It remains to be seen if Apple will get the same FDA certification for its “substantially equivalent device” in the fall… if the recent rumors are true.
The FDA also cleared Samsung’s irregular heart rhythm notification technology for select Galaxy Watch devices before, but on the downside, the company’s blood pressure monitoring feature, which was first introduced in 2019 (!!) for the first-gen Galaxy Watch Active (!!!), is still not authorized for US use on any of its devices that compete with the Apple Watch.
What else should you know?
According to the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), OSA is one of the most common sleep disorders in the world, affecting about 100 million people globally. The WHO also warns that OSA can increase the risk of mortality by 1.5 times, and that untreated OSA can reduce life expectancy by 10 years.
Samsung’s sleep apnea detection tool is part of the company’s vision to provide “innovative health solutions” that can “empower and educate consumers” about their health. Samsung also offers other features such as blood oxygen monitoring, electrocardiogram (ECG), fall detection, and stress management on its smartwatches.
Samsung’s smartwatches are compatible with both Android and iOS devices, and come in various sizes, styles, and prices. The Galaxy Watch 5 series starts at $249.99, while the Galaxy Watch 6 series starts at $399.99. You can check out Samsung’s website for more details and offers.