According to a post on Samsung’s official newsroom, some products in the Galaxy Watch line have been officially certified by the FDA to detect sleep apnea. This is breakthrough news for Samsung since they’re working on similar sleep-tracking features for their upcoming Galaxy Ring.
It has received the De Novo certification from the FDA, and it can now detect signs of sleep apnea using a compatible Galaxy Watch. We don’t know the models yet. For those over the age of 22, this can detect signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea with just two nights of monitoring. In many cases, this problem goes undiagnosed without treatment, but Samsung is changing that.
This problem causes some people to stop breathing properly while sleeping, disrupting the supply of Oxygen. This may cause daytime fatigue, poor sleep quality, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and more. Samsung’s watches can detect heart rate and warn you of potential problems. It also does SPO2 blood oxygen detection. Sleep apnea tracking is the next big thing. After this, Samsung might try non-invasive Blood Glucose monitoring.
Later this year, compatible Galaxy Watch users can find this setting in the Health Monitor app in the USA. We’re not sure about the progress of other countries. Samsung got the green light in their home country, South Korea, too, and the update will roll out there first.
Apple is dealing with lawsuit trouble on their existing products, and they’re secretly working on non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, too. However, Apple’s sleep apnea solution is pending FDA approval. The feature monitors the wearer’s blood oxygen levels throughout the night for any inconsistencies. It also tracks breathing interruptions during sleep and can conclude whether someone has obstructive sleep apnea.
We don’t know when the update will come, but it should roll out in the coming months. We expect the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 5 series to support it, and the 4 series might also support it. However, this is not an official list, and there is no confirmation from Samsung.
