Samsung Galaxy Watch owners will receive a vital software upgrade in the coming days, and this one could be a real lifesaver. Last year, Samsung announced a number of new features coming to its popular fitness-focused smartwatch, including blood pressure monitoring. That’s something the market-leader in this category, the Apple Watch, cannot manage to record right now.
The health tracking upgrade was originally only available in South Korea, however, it now seems Samsung is ready to unleash the features on more devices across the world. The free upgrade will go live early next month across the UK, Europe and other parts of the world including Chile, Indonesia, and the UAE – taking the total to 31 new countries.
Once you’ve got the update downloaded and installed, your Galaxy Watch 3 or Galaxy Watch Active 2 will be able to reveal vital health stats, including your blood pressure. The clever blood pressure monitoring can be used anywhere at any time thanks to a new technology called pulse wave analysis.
High blood pressure is commonly linked to brain, kidney and heart diseases, and if left untreated, it can lead to stroke and coronary heart disease, so this is a critical feature that really could save lives.
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“Nearly one million people have used the Samsung Health Monitor app to manage their health since its initial launch in Korea last June,” said Teg Dosanjh, Director of Connected Services & Technology at Samsung Electronics. “Our Galaxy Watch Series is a much-loved product in our Galaxy ecosystem and we are delighted to bring this innovative service to our customers in the UK.”
The Samsung Health Monitor app update will be progressively available on Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2 starting February 4 so keep an eye on your settings.
