Samsung's Galaxy Watch Is Picking Up A Key Health Feature Later This Year

One of the major lifesaving advances in modern medical science has been the ability to detect bodily anomalies early. Whether it's something simple like a little cough, or something potentially dangerous like a budding tumor, catching health complications early gives you much more time to put a plan into action and remedy the problem before it really gets out of hand. Samsung has announced a new feature for the Galaxy Watch to screen for irregularities in one of your most vital organs: your heart.

Today, Samsung announced that Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications (or IHRNs) will be added to the Samsung Health Monitor app available on Galaxy Watch devices. The feature was in testing phases in the United States and South Korea, pending approval by their respective governing health bodies, which has now been granted. 

In the very near future, you'll be able to screen yourself for heartbeat irregularities in the U.S., South Korea, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Panama, and U.A.E.

The new Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification system in the Samsung Health Monitor app works alongside the other metabolic detection services already in the app that monitor things like heart rate, heart rhythm, and blood pressure. The IHRN system quietly tracks your vitals in the background while the app is running, and in the event any irregularities are picked up, it immediately notifies you. While atrial fibrillation isn't always an immediate cause for concern, it could signify the potential of stroke or heart disease, so knowing about it immediately could be potentially lifesaving.

"Cardiovascular disease remains one of the main causes of death around the world, and we're committed to empowering our users to stay informed about their heart health by providing monitoring tools, including blood pressure measurement and irregular heart rhythm notification," said Hon Pak, Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team, MX Business at Samsung Electronics. "We're constantly exploring new ways to help Galaxy Watch users obtain deeper insights on their health and wellness effortlessly, day and night."

The IHRN feature will be standard in the Samsung Health Monitor app, and by extension Galaxy Watch devices, going forward. It will be included at launch with the new One UI 5 Watch that is set to launch later this year, and will be made compatible with previous Watch versions after that.

The Best Smartwatches Of 2022

In the early days of smart wearable tech, it was easy to dismiss smartwatches as little more than a fun novelty. Sure, they could be used to answer messages or play music, but they couldn't do much that a smartphone didn't already have covered. Those days, however, are long gone, and today's best smartwatches are packed with features that complement the latest smartphones while adding plenty of extra functionality.

From monitoring your health to acting as a wearable GPS, the latest crop of smart wearables are more useful than ever, although certain models will appeal more to different types of users. Whether it's fitness, exploration, or just everyday connectivity, it's worth considering what each of the market's best can offer before picking one. There were already plenty of excellent smartwatches on the market that launched in 2021, but 2022's latest launches will have even long-time smartwatch wearers wondering if it's time to upgrade.

After years of collaborating with other manufacturers on Wear OS, Google finally unveiled its first Pixel-branded watch in October 2022. Unlike many of its peers, the Pixel Watch feels like a highly polished product, with a sleek, elegant design that's both good-looking and comfortable to wear. The watch requires an Android smartphone to set up, but once it's paired, it's capable of connecting to a wireless network via eSim without the phone needing to be nearby.

The Pixel Watch also incorporates some of the features from Google's subsidiary brand Fitbit, but for real fitness fanatics, a Fitbit-branded product would still offer a better experience. The Fitbit Sense 2, for example, includes Amazon Alexa, swim stroke tracking, and heart rhythm monitoring, all of which are missing from the Pixel Watch. Still, for casual users, there's more than enough to keep everyone happy. The Pixel Watch's sleek design and useful features make it one of the few Android smartwatches on the market capable of posing a serious threat to the class-leading Apple Watch series, although it's worth noting, there are some significant differences between the two products including the battery life.

The latest generation of the Apple Watch family was launched in September 2022, and the $249 SE 2 is the cheapest model in the lineup. There are a few key differences between the SE 2 and the more expensive Series 8, with the biggest difference being that there's no always-on display on the cheaper model. The SE 2 also misses out on some health features, including the blood oxygen monitor, ECG sensor, and the new temperature sensor that debuted in the Series 8. The screen of the SE 2 is also slightly smaller, with 40mm and 44mm options available, while the Series 8 screens come in at 41mm and 45mm.

If any of those features sound like deal breakers, the Series 8 is probably the better bet, but otherwise, there's no reason to pay for the higher-spec model. The SE 2 is still an excellent smartwatch, with the same distinctive design and intuitive interface that costlier models have. For first-time buyers, the Apple Watch SE 2 is strongly recommended, although our survey shows that most current Apple Watch owners won't be looking to upgrade.

One of the earliest watches to get Wear OS 3, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro launched with a significant redesign compared to its predecessors. Gone was the distinctive rotating bezel, and in its place was a fixed bezel which users could swipe instead. At 45mm, the screen is one of the bigger offerings on the market, and it might not suit all wrists. Pair that with the titanium body you get what's arguably Samsung's best-looking smartwatch to date, not to mention one of the most sturdy and scratch-resistant.

The one annoying flaw that the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro suffers from is its permanently elevated strap design, which prevents the watch from making use of Samsung's Wireless PowerShare feature. Newer Samsung devices can share power among each other, but they require each device to be placed flat against the other, which the 5 Pro can't do because of its strap design. The regular Galaxy 5 watch doesn't have this problem, though, and it's worth pointing out that very few users ever used the Wireless PowerShare feature anyway. Other than that, it's hard to fault the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro for its design or its features, earning it a spot on the "best of segment" list for 2022.

The latest generation of Fossil's signature smartwatch arrived in 2021, but it didn't receive an update to Wear OS 3 until this year. The latest operating system brought about plenty of tweaks and upgrades, but even without them, the Gen 6 offered a winning combination of value and functionality at a price that slightly undercut its key competitors. The Fossil's 1.28-inch AMOLED screen is one of the best on the market, with a 416 x 416 resolution and 328 ppi density. In terms of styling, not a lot has changed from the previous Gen 5 watch, but that's no bad thing.

There are now two guard lugs that protect the crown from getting caught on sleeves or pockets, and there's also a ridge around the edge of the bezel that helps visually differentiate it from its competitors. Battery life still isn't a strong point, but there's built-in fast charging, and a full charge from zero is possible within an hour. It's also worth noting that the Fossil works with both Android and Apple smartphones, making it one of the most versatile options on the market in terms of compatibility.

Apple's latest version of its signature smartwatch debuted in September 2022, and it packs a number of new and improved features over last year's Series 7. The battery life is now increased to 18 hours of regular use, and that number can be doubled through a new Low Power Mode. There's also a new Crash Detection feature, which will notify the emergency services and call your emergency contacts if it detects you've been in an accident. The 2022 watch brings an improved suite of functions for women's health tracking compared to the previous gen, with a new feature that tracks temperature and menstrual cycle data to estimate when a woman is ovulating. This could be useful for couples trying to conceive, and it allows the watch to alert the wearer if there's any deviation from their usual menstrual cycle.

The GPS-only version of the watch costs $399, while the GPS and Cellular model costs $499. With the launch of the Apple Watch Ultra, the Series 8 is now the middle child of the Apple Watch family. It's still the class leader, although being an Apple product, it only functions fully with an iPhone and not with an Android. Smartwatch enthusiasts who prefer Google's operating system will have to look elsewhere, with the new Google Pixel Watch being the closest direct rival to the Series 8.

While it's not as much of an all-rounder as many of the other watches here, the Garmin Forerunner 255 is hard to beat if you're a fitness fanatic. It's primarily a watch for runners, although it's been upgraded for 2022 to include multisport tracking, meaning it can track over 30 different activities and combine the data from each one. The battery life is also excellent, with the 46mm version able to last for about two weeks before needing a recharge. For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 8 will last barely a day. The watch can be used without a smartphone, but it works best when paired with the Garmin Connect smartphone app. It's compatible with both Android and Apple, with no difference in functionality between the two systems, unlike some of its competitors.

The Garmin's suite of features includes a heart rate sensor, a compass, and a new "multiband GPS," which promises to more accurately log locations around tall buildings or trees by taking advantage of the newest satellite GPS frequencies. When you're not on the go, the watch also offers a range of passive health monitoring features, including tracking blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and the usual steps and distance. At $349.99 or $399.99 for a watch with offline music storage, the Garmin isn't cheap, but there are few fitness-tracking smartwatches out there that do a better job.

The Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 Ultra GPS was unveiled in October 2021, but it remains one of the best smartwatches on the market in 2022. Much like the Garmin above, the Pro 3 Ultra GPS is more of a specialist watch and will be appreciated most by wearers with a love of the outdoors. It's built using stainless steel and high-strength nylon that meets US Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G), meaning it can survive extreme high and low temperatures, humidity, shock, and low pressure. While most wearers won't be doing anything extreme enough to really put this claim to the test, it's certainly nice to have a watch that you can take on hikes in all weather conditions without having to worry.

Protecting the 454 x 454 resolution AMOLED display is Corning Gorilla glass, which is both scratch and fingerprint-resistant. The watch is powered by Wear OS, so existing Android smartwatch users should find it looks very familiar. Alongside its outdoorsy functionality, there's the usual suite of fitness trackers including heart rate monitors, GPS route trackers, and even a mental fatigue tracker, but keep in mind that this isn't a dedicated fitness watch. For more hardcore fitness enthusiasts and athletes, Garmin's range of watches is a better option, but for extreme sports fans or those who simply prefer being outdoors for long periods, the Mobvoi is a solid contender.

The Venu 2 Plus is the closest Garmin gets to making a true all-rounder smartwatch, although it still retains many of the excellent fitness features that make the brand a hit among runners and athletes. It's the successor to the already-great Venu 2 that was released in 2021, but it packs one key addition: a microphone, so you can now make calls from your watch, and access your smartphone's voice assistant. It's not the most drastic of upgrades, but it's one that brings Garmin a lot closer in functionality to its more lifestyle-oriented rivals.

Much like the Forerunner 255, the Venu 2 Plus boasts an excellent battery life, with up to ten days available from a single charge. Its AMOLED display is also a highlight, with a crisp, bright look that's comparable to rivals from Fossil and Mobvoi. All of Garmin's fitness analysis and tracking tools are also present, although high-end features like training load assessment and live navigation aren't available. For those, buyers will have to cough up the cash for one of Garmin's high-end watches. For everyone else, however, the Venu 2 Plus makes a great candidate for an all-in-one watch, as it's smart enough for everyday wear, yet still one of the best fitness-tracking watches on the market.

At $799, there's no getting past the fact that the Apple Watch Ultra is one seriously big investment. It's significantly pricier than the Apple Watch Series 8, but for athletes and adventurers, it's the best Apple smartwatch hands down. For this new high-end addition to the Apple Watch family, the Cupertino-based company has focused on durability in extreme conditions. As such, it's certified to work underwater at depths of up to 100 meters, and much like the Mobvoi, meets military construction standards for ruggedness (MIL-STD-810H).

Titanium construction used to be an option on the Apple Watch Series 7, but it's now reserved only for the Ultra. Screen brightness has also been increased from 1,000 nits on the standard Series 8 to 2,000 nits on the Ultra. The design of the Apple Watch has barely changed since it first launched in 2015, but the Ultra features a revised crown and case design that should make it less likely to catch on clothing. Perhaps the most impressive feature, however, is the Ultra's added battery life, with 36 hours of regular usage now available, double the life of the Series 8. That can be extended to up to 60 hours of usage when Low Power Mode is enabled. It might be very pricey, but for those who can justify spending the cash, the Apple Watch Ultra is arguably the best Apple Watch to date.

If spending $400 or more on a smartwatch seems like too much, then Fitbit offers a cut-price option that includes many of the same health-tracking features but for less upfront cost. The Fitbit Versa 4 retails for $229.95 and it runs on Fitbit's own OS rather than Google's Wear OS, despite the latter being the parent company of the former. It's a noticeably different interface to its competitors, with Fitbit's focus on health and fitness meaning that many of the more smartphone-oriented connectivity features take a back seat.

Depending on your preferences, this can be a good thing, as there are plenty of would-be smartwatch buyers out there that don't appreciate being reminded about their emails and messages every minute of the day. The Versa 4 offers a more streamlined experience, focusing primarily on keeping its wearer informed of their health without many of the potentially bothersome connectivity features that pricier rivals offer.