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Samsung is touting the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro to offer the world’s most advanced sleep tracking technology. In a press conference in New York shortly after the Galaxy Unpacked last week, company executive Yang Tae-jong said that the new watches are the best partner for healthy sleeping habits. Yang is the head of health research and development at Samsung.
The Galaxy Watch 5 series debuted last Wednesday with several major improvements over the preceding models. The company claims the pair will set new standards for smartwatch health experiences. The new watches pack an innovative bioactive sensor. It combines Optical Heart Rate (PPG), Electrical Heart Signal (ECG), and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) for comprehensive health monitoring.
The technological advancements Samsung has made this year allow for more accurate sleep monitoring, Yang said. He noted that the company has been working on sleep-tracking technologies for the past several years. Its watches monitor different stages of sleep and detect snoring and blood oxygen levels. The data is then shown to users comprehensively so they can easily determine how well they sleep.
Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 5 offers customized sleep coaching programs that enable users to improve their sleeping habits over time. Yang added that Samsung develops these programs in collaboration with Samsung Medical Center. Customers get access to those for free. Many fitness tracker and smartwatch brands charge a premium for such programs.
Going forward, Samsung plans to utilize relevant sleep data for clinical trials. The company is working with the United States National Sleep Foundation as well as laboratories at the University of California, San Diego and the University of California, San Francisco for further research.
Galaxy Watch 5 also features a new temperature sensor
In addition to improving the existing health sensors, Samsung has also introduced a new temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch 5 series. The new hardware has yet to get approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety but once it does, it will open up new possibilities for smartwatch health monitoring.
Yang said Samsung is developing various functions for the contactless temperature sensor on the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The company sees its applications in measuring body skin temperatures, sleep tracking, exercise tracking, and other health care areas. The Samsung executive believes smartwatches will play a pivotal role in the health care sector in the coming years. With its three pillars — innovation, connectivity, and cooperation — the Korean firm will be at the forefront of this revolution.
“Samsung’s DNA is technology. We will continuously invest in technology to stay ahead,” Yang said. “Samsung takes collaboration with partners very seriously. We will create an open ecosystem with partnering companies so that consumers can receive more value.”