Samsung Electronics received clearance from South Korean regulators to add a blood pressure monitoring app to its Galaxy Watch range, in a move demonstrating its efforts to provide a boost to the e-health sector.
In a statement, the company said its Samsung Health Monitor app will be featured on the Galaxy Watch Active2 in its domestic market from Q3 and will progressively expand to upcoming devices in the wearable series.
The app was cleared by Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) as an over-the-counter and cuffless blood pressure monitoring system.
Set up requires the app to be calibrated with a traditional blood pressure cuff, after which it measures pressure by comparing pulse waves with the baseline.
To ensure accuracy, the vendor encouraged users to calibrate their smartwatch at least once a month.
Samsung stated its app would allow people to get health insights and “to make more informed decisions, to lead healthier lives”.
This will be the latest addition to the specifications of Samsung’s most recent smartwatch series, after a handful of updates for enhanced health tracking unveiled in November 2019.
