Samsung

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch will be able to detect sleep apnea later this year

Ben Schoon | Feb 9 2024 - 9:15 am PT

Samsung just got approval from the FDA to use Galaxy Watch to detect if the wearer is dealing with sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a medical condition where people can briefly stop breathing properly while they are sleeping. The condition can take multipole forms including “Central Sleep Apnea” where the brain doesn’t properly send signals for controlling breathing while someone is asleep, where “Obstructive Sleep Apnea” sees the muscles relax and actually block the flow of air into your lungs.

In a post, Samsung explains that it has just received FDA approval to add a feature to Galaxy Watch which is able to detect “signs of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.”

The feature will be available to users over the age of 22 who have not been diagnosed with the condition already. The idea, it seems, is to help people who may not be aware they have sleep apnea seek medical help or explain symptoms such as “decreased sleep quality and increased daytime fatigue.”

The feature uses data captured when you sleep and requires at least two days of sleep for more than four hours within a 10-day period.

Samsung notes that this feature is coming to Galaxy Watch in the US starting in Q3 of 2024, which means no earlier than July 2024. Most likely, we’d assume, is that this feature will debut alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 series, which is expected to debut around Q3 as well. It’s unclear if it would be available to other Galaxy Watch models, but Samsung’s announcement does say the “Galaxy Watch series.” Beyond the US, the feature was already approved in South Korea, but may not be available in other countries.

Samsung also notes that the feature may depend on what smartphone you’re paired to. Select health features on Galaxy Watch depend on the wearable paired to a Galaxy smartphone, so it seems that might be a requirement for this new sleep apnea feature too.