Samsung smartwatches can now measure blood pressure – but there’s a catch
You’ll need an app, but that’s not all
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TheSamsung Galaxy Watch Active 2has featured a blood pressure monitor since launch, but until now there’s been no app to let you use it. That’s finally about to change though, as it’s finally received official approval as a medical device.
After beta trials, theSamsungHealth Monitor app has been approved by the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), and makes the watch the first device of its kind to measure blood pressure.
The Samsung Health Monitor app can be paired with the Galaxy Watch Active2 as well as future Galaxy Watch wearables.
It’s not as straightforward as heart rate monitoring, though. First, your device needs to be calibrated using a traditional blood pressure monitor with an inflatable cuff, as shown in the video below:
This process will need to be repeated every month to make sure your watch’s reading remain accurate.
Listen to my heartbeat
Samsung says that the Samsung Health Monitor app will be available on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 in the third quarter of this year, and will then expand to future Galaxy Watch devices.
It’s worth noting, however, that at the moment only the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has approved the feature. While it is highly likely that regulatory bodies in the rest of the world will follow suit, this is by no means guaranteed, and even if approval is granted in these regions, it’s impossible to say when this could happen.
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Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2’sECG (electrocardiogram) featureto become available. Samsung originally planned to enable it via a software update by the end of the first quarter of 2020, but has now admitted it won’t make that deadline.
ViaWareable
Sofia is a tech journalist who’s been writing about software, hardware and the web for nearly 25 years – but still looks as youthful as ever! After years writing for magazines, her life moved online and remains fueled by technology, music and nature.
Having written for websites and magazines since 2000, producing a wide range of reviews, guides, tutorials, brochures, newsletters and more, she continues to write for diverse audiences, from computing newbies to advanced users and business clients. Always willing to try something new, she loves sharing new discoveries with others.
Sofia lives and breathes Windows, Android, iOS, macOS and just about anything with a power button, but her particular areas of interest include security, tweaking and privacy. Her other loves include walking, music, her two Malamutes and, of course, her wife and daughter.
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