Samsung is bringing an FDA-approved feature to its wearables that could save your life during sleep. The advanced sleep apnea detection feature has already received clearance from both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
Samsung announces advanced sleep apnea feature
Samsung is bringing advanced sleep apnea detection to wearables in South Korea. | Image by Samsung
Samsung officially announced the new feature in a blog post on its Korean site. Unlike regular sleep apnea detection, which has been available on smartwatches as old as the Galaxy Watch 4, the new feature offers a detailed analysis.
Samsung used AI algorithms to analyze the number of breathing disturbances per hour each night, and subsequently categorize the level of danger. The new feature will alert users about three distinct levels of sleep apnea — mild, moderate, or severe.
The current Galaxy wearables can only detect signs of the condition without assessing how serious it is, so this update could potentially save lives. Sleep apnea often goes unnoticed until it's too late, and having an assessment of the severity of your problem could be immensely helpful.
Supported devices
The new feature is coming to the Galaxy Ring as well. | Image by PhoneArena
The new sleep apnea detection feature will start rolling out in South Korea next month (November). The list of supported devices includes the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Watch 9, and Galaxy Ring, with a subsequent rollout to older wearables such as the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 7.
Recommended For You
Given the FDA clearance that the company has already secured, a global rollout could happen roughly at the same time as the South Korean update. That's good news for people who like to track their sleep, and especially for Galaxy Ring owners.
The wearable already has sleep apnea detection, but the new advanced feature will make it even more useful. Some people (myself included) can't sleep with a smartwatch on their wrists, so opting for the much less bulky and cumbersome Galaxy Ring is a nice alternative.
How do you track your sleep?
3 Votes
Is this update a big deal?
Sleep apnea affects one third of the US adult population. | Image by Pixabay
It kind of is. Sleep apnea affects nearly 1 billion people worldwide, with roughly 80.6 million to 83.7 million adults aged 20 and older living with the condition in the United States alone.
That's roughly one-third of the US adult population, which is pretty huge. Sleep apnea is also linked to other health conditions, such as cardiovascular problems, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
I don't want to scare anyone by being a prophet of doom, but the condition is serious in its more severe cases. The good news is that it can be managed or even treated in its mild cases with lifestyle adjustments and various exercises.
Read more about new smartphone and wearable health features here:
Get a free Galaxy A17 with Straight Talk. To claim this deal, you need to pair the phone with activation on a Silver Unlimited Plan or higher. This tier costs $45 per month. Offer valid through 01/10/27 while supplies last online.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts:
New accounts created within the last 24 hours may experience restrictions on how frequently they can
post or comment.
These limits are in place as a precaution and will automatically lift.
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: