[Update] Get the Samsung Health Monitor app now
Samsung’s wearable ECG and blood pressure features are now live in a host of new countries, after the rollout was announced last month.
The ECG and blood pressure monitoring for the Galaxy Watch 3 and Active 2 had only been approved for use in South Korea and the US – but European approval has grown that list substantially.
The Samsung Health Monitor smartphone app is now available to download in Iceland, Germany, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Belgium, Lithuania, Netherlands, Greece, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and the United Kingdom.
And it’s not just Europe getting the rollout. Chile, UAE and Indonesia are also on the list, and it’s also confirmed for India, Japan and China. However, there’s not a firm date on roll out in those countries.
ECG has been a key battle ground in wearables, with Apple leading and Fitbit also getting rapid certification for its Fitbit Sense.
Blood pressure has been less widely adopted, and Samsung has a significant lead here. However, the feature does require validation against a traditional cuff every couple of weeks, so while it’s a very useful addition for hypertension sufferers, it’s unlikely to drive blood pressure detection to be the next wide consumer metric.
You also need to have a Samsung smartphone as well as Galaxy Watch.
And we also reported this week on rumors that Samsung is looking to add non-invasive glucose tracking to its next smartwatch in 2021. That could be a Galaxy Watch 4 or Active 3 – so watch this space.