Samsung has confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy Watch 6 will offer irregular heart rhythm notifications, a feature that has been available on Apple Watches for several years. The feature will also be available on older Samsung watches, but only after the Galaxy Watch 6 has been released.
Irregular heart rhythm notifications use the watch’s heart rate monitor to look for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a heart condition that can cause an abnormally fast heart rate. If the watch detects an irregular heart rhythm, it will notify the user and recommend that they see a doctor.
The feature has been approved by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It will be available in 13 countries at launch, including the US, Korea, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Panama, and the UAE.
Samsung has not yet announced when the irregular heart rhythm notifications feature will be available in other countries. However, the company has said that it will be “expanding to earlier editions later this year” as part of the One UI 5 Watch software update.
The addition of irregular heart rhythm notifications is a significant step forward for Samsung’s smartwatches. It is a valuable health feature that can help users to detect AFib early, which can lead to early treatment and improved outcomes.
The feature is also a sign of Samsung’s commitment to health and fitness. The company has been steadily adding new health features to its smartwatches in recent years, and the irregular heart rhythm notifications feature is just the latest example.
With this new feature, Samsung is positioning its smartwatches as a serious contender in the health and fitness market. The company is likely to continue to add new health features to its smartwatches in the years to come, and it will be interesting to see how it competes with Apple in this space.
