Samsung announced this week that two more health features are now available on its Galaxy Watch range in South Africa via the Samsung Health Monitor app – irregular heart rhythm and sleep apnea detection.
The free software update, which went live on 13 January 2025, should already be available to South Africans who own a Galaxy Watch Ultra, Watch 7, Watch 6 Classic, and Watch FE at first. Samsung says the features will make their way to older devices “in the near future.”
Samsung joins the heart health party
If you’re not familiar with irregular heart rhythms, also known as arrhythmia, or sleep apnea, consider yourself lucky. The former occurs when the electrical signals in charge of making your heart do its thing are too fast, too slow, or erratic, while the latter occurs when your breathing stops and restarts many times while you’re asleep.
While neither are immediately life-threatening, both exist as commonly under-diagnosed conditions and can lead to serious health complications if left unchecked.
“According to the South African Society for Sleep and Health, 26% of adults in South Africa are affected by sleep apnea, a condition that can lead to severe health risks such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke,” notes Samsung.
By introducing these features to its newer wearables, Samsung aims to provide more South Africans with “the technology they need to easily manage and take control of their health and well-being.”
That said, you should always pair smartwatch-based health metrics with the opinion of a healthcare professional.
