Koreans can now measure their blood pressure

June 22, 2020

Samsung unlocks a new biometric function of the Galaxy Watch Active 2: the blood pressure monitoring. The Korean firm has obtained authorization to deploy the measurement of blood pressure on its domestic market. Less than a month ago, Samsung received the same authorization for the EKG.

It is not always enough to embed certain technologies in electronic products so that users cannot profit. This is particularly the case for on-board biometric sensors in smart health connected watches. Some of these sensors require authorization from health authorities in some countries. The Apple Watch Series 4 has proven this: its electrocardiogram (or ECG) was first available in the United States before being available in other countries.

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The electrocardiogram is not the only biometric sensor to be subject to prior authorization. The blood pressure monitoring is also. As a reminder, this is a sensor used to measure blood pressure (or blood pressure). That is, the pressure of the blood in the veins. Some smart health connected watches are equipped with it. This is the case with the Galaxy Watch Active 2. But until now, it has not been possible to take advantage of it.

After the ECG, the blood pressure monitoring unlocked in South Korea

Samsung released a press release today explaining that the Korean Ministry of Health authorizes the firm to unlock the watch blood pressure monitoring. It will certainly be necessary for a software update to be released to activate the function for everyone who bought the watch. This authorization is only valid for South Korea. Note that last May, Samsung received the same authorization for the Galaxy Watch Active 2 ECG.

The release of the blood pressure monitoring is also accompanied by the arrival of the support for blood pressure readings in the Samsung Health app (which you find on the Galaxy, but also on the Play Store). This application, which serves as a technical link with Galaxy Watch, collects the information sent by the watch to create dashboards. From now on, the voltage readings will feed the application.

This is not yet the case with ECGs. Even though the use of ECG is allowed in South Korea on the Galaxy Watch Active 2, the app is not yet able to process information. Samsung says it will be available in Q3 2020. And guess who is coming in the third quarter? The Galaxy Watch 3 rumored to be equipped with a blood pressure monitoring and an ECG. There is obviously no such thing as chance.