Samsung has announced that it is developing new tools for its wearable devices to help detect early signs of mental illnesses such as dementia.
The goal is to detect, not to diagnose
It was recently tipped that Samsung has developed a new feature called "Brain Health" that will help its devices identify early warning signs of dementia. It was speculated that the company would announce this feature at CES 2026, and indeed it has.
During its First Look event at CES 2026, Praveen Raja, the vice president and head of digital health at Samsung, reportedly stated that they are working on new features that will use data collected from Samsung wearables to check if the user is suffering from any mental illness, such as dementia. However, it has not yet been officially confirmed whether the feature will be called "Brain Health."
The feature will allow wearables like the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy Ring to monitor changes in users that could be related to cognitive function. For instance, the devices will keep an eye on how users interact with home devices. Additionally, the way users move and communicate with Samsung's Bixby assistant will also be taken into account to identify any early signs of long-term cognitive changes.
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The electronics giant clearly mentioned that its goal is not to diagnose users who are suffering from dementia or any other mental illness. Instead, the introduction of these features will ensure that users and their families get to know about mental decline at the earliest stage so that the necessary medical assistance is sought as soon as possible.
Samsung also mentioned in a blog post that it has partnered with research experts in order to improve this upcoming feature. Although there isn't any information on when what could reportedly be called Brain Health features will be made available, it has been mentioned that they will initially be available in beta in selected countries.
AI to play a big role
Man wearing a white Galaxy Watch 8. | Image by PhoneArena.
The South Korean giant also mentioned in its post that AI will play a major role in all upcoming health-related features across its devices. Samsung Galaxy smartphones, Galaxy Watches, Galaxy Rings, and other major Samsung appliances will use AI to help detect health issues at an early stage.
Basically, the company looks forward to using AI to analyze data collected from wearables and other connected devices like smartphones. This data will then be used in features that will provide personalized health tips, such as recommending exercises based on the diseases that AI identifies from the collected information.
Which Galaxy Watch health features do you use the most?
Blood pressure monitoring.
26.32%
Blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring.
0%
Sleep tracking.
47.37%
Activity tracking.
15.79%
Antioxidant Index.
5.26%
Stress monitoring.
5.26%
Prevent future health risks
There have been a lot of interesting innovations in smartwatches and other wearables in recent years. For instance, the Galaxy Watch 8 recently got a new health metric called the Antioxidant Index, which monitors your carotenoid levels. It essentially reflects your intake of healthy nutrients derived from green vegetables and fruits.
In addition to this, you get several other health-related features such as sleep and blood pressure monitoring and a daily step tracker. However, until now, no company's wearable has included a feature to monitor mental health-related issues like dementia.
Dementia is definitely a growing issue around the world. In the United States alone, the National Institutes of Health reports that it affects more than 6 million people and is the reason for over 100,000 deaths each year. As it is such a major health concern, Samsung's upcoming feature, reportedly called "Brain Health," could prove to be really useful. It'll help detect the disease in its early stages, and with proper medical help, users may be able to prevent it from becoming more severe.
In essence, features like these clearly indicate that Samsung wants its wearables to be used not only for tracking basic health metrics but also as devices that can help prevent future diseases. Similar to Samsung, I believe Apple also aims to position its Apple Watch as a preventive healthcare device. This is evident from the fact that the Cupertino giant recently introduced a hypertension monitoring system in watchOS 26, which detects early signs of hypertension in users.
Aman Kumar is a tech news writer with a long-standing passion for smartphones. Aman specializes in everything smartphones, from AI features like Pixel’s Camera Coach to understanding ideal hardware combinations. He loves breaking down complex features in a simple, clear way and hopes manufacturers bring back bold designs like the Nokia N-Gage. When he’s not writing, he’s either gaming on PUBG or talking fitness as a dedicated gym enthusiast.
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