Samsung Wins US and Korean Clearances for Advanced Sleep Apnea Feature on Galaxy Watches and Ring
Samsung has received FDA and Korean MFDS clearance for an upgraded sleep apnea function that sorts breathing disturbances into mild, occasional or frequent levels, rolling out in South Korea from November.
The new function goes beyond existing sleep apnea detection by analyzing the number of breathing disturbances per hour during sleep. An AI algorithm then identifies the severity of the user's breathing disturbances and displays results in one of three categories: mild, occasional or frequent. Samsung has not said how the levels are defined or what clinical thresholds separate them.
Sleep apnea detection is not new to Samsung's wearables. Watches as old as the Galaxy Watch 4 have offered the capability, and the Galaxy Ring became the first FDA-cleared ring device for sleep apnea detection earlier this year, the report said. The advanced feature is intended to provide more detail than simply flagging signs of the condition.
Samsung said the function will also reach older devices, including the Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 7, through future software updates. The company has not provided information on availability outside South Korea. Because it already holds FDA clearance, a US rollout could follow sooner rather than later, Android Authority reported.