Jenith
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Many Samsung watch models have had the required hardware to provide blood pressure monitoring for several years now. The feature is live in several markets but it has continued to evade the United States, arguably one of the most important markets for this feature.
It's not like Samsung could flip the switch on this feature on its own. It needed to clear the regulatory hurdles put in place by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yes, despite several years, Galaxy Watch owners in the United States are no closer to utilizing the potential this feature offers.
For those who haven't had the opportunity to try this feature out yet, blood pressure monitoring on a compatible Galaxy Watch works through the Samsung Health Monitor app. It's a separate app and must be downloaded on both the Galaxy Watch and the connected smartphone.
The app communicates directly with the Samsung Health platform and can then be used to monitor both the blood pressure and also take ECG readings. The feature doesn't start working right away. You're required to calibrate it with the help of a medical-grade blood pressure monitor. If you have one, the app will then guide you through the process.
Samsung positions its Galaxy Watch models as being essential to a healthy lifestyle. The Samsung Health platform provides a wide variety of capabilities, utilizing the data collected from Samsung's wearable devices to provide users with an overview of their health and fitness, along with suggestions and recommendations to improve their lifestyles.
The current restriction places Galaxy Watch owners in the United States at a disadvantage. They remain unable to access one feature that would provide another valuable data point to their unique Samsung Health profile. It's understandably frustrating to know that your device has the hardware for a feature Samsung has talked much about, but the permission to use it is missing.
Now, one could make the argument that this isn't entirely Samsung's fault. The US FDA doesn't really operate on Samsung's timeline. In essence, the company would have to wait for as long as the FDA wants until the department finally follows through. Anyone who has ever dealt with a government department anywhere knows that they're not exactly known for their speed.
How is it, then, that Apple was able to deliver a somewhat similar functionality that also required FDA approval before Samsung? Apple added the required blood pressure monitoring hardware to its smartwatches much later and it had to clear the same FDA hurdle in the United States as Samsung.
Yet, in September last year, the FDA cleared the launch of Apple's hypertension detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, and the Ultra 2 and 3 models.
Granted, the feature isn't entirely the same as the blood pressure readings that Samsung's feature provides. Apple's feature relies on other data points reviewed over 30-day periods to alert users if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.
Something is better than nothing, right? Galaxy Watch owners in the United States wouldn't be too out of line for asking Samsung what happened to this feature? It's already live in many countries across the globe, and even just north of the border in Canada.
Did someone at Samsung forgot to follow up with the FDA? Was there an objection raised by the department or some incurable defect found that would make it impossible for this feature to be rolled out for users in the United States?
It's been a very long time that users have been left in limbo and some clarity on the matter would be much appreciated. Given the silence on this matter, it's hard to imagine if any would be forthcoming.
The post Why is Samsung Watch blood pressure monitoring still not live in the US? appeared first on imeisource.
It's not like Samsung could flip the switch on this feature on its own. It needed to clear the regulatory hurdles put in place by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Yes, despite several years, Galaxy Watch owners in the United States are no closer to utilizing the potential this feature offers.
For those who haven't had the opportunity to try this feature out yet, blood pressure monitoring on a compatible Galaxy Watch works through the Samsung Health Monitor app. It's a separate app and must be downloaded on both the Galaxy Watch and the connected smartphone.
The app communicates directly with the Samsung Health platform and can then be used to monitor both the blood pressure and also take ECG readings. The feature doesn't start working right away. You're required to calibrate it with the help of a medical-grade blood pressure monitor. If you have one, the app will then guide you through the process.
Samsung positions its Galaxy Watch models as being essential to a healthy lifestyle. The Samsung Health platform provides a wide variety of capabilities, utilizing the data collected from Samsung's wearable devices to provide users with an overview of their health and fitness, along with suggestions and recommendations to improve their lifestyles.
The current restriction places Galaxy Watch owners in the United States at a disadvantage. They remain unable to access one feature that would provide another valuable data point to their unique Samsung Health profile. It's understandably frustrating to know that your device has the hardware for a feature Samsung has talked much about, but the permission to use it is missing.
Now, one could make the argument that this isn't entirely Samsung's fault. The US FDA doesn't really operate on Samsung's timeline. In essence, the company would have to wait for as long as the FDA wants until the department finally follows through. Anyone who has ever dealt with a government department anywhere knows that they're not exactly known for their speed.
How is it, then, that Apple was able to deliver a somewhat similar functionality that also required FDA approval before Samsung? Apple added the required blood pressure monitoring hardware to its smartwatches much later and it had to clear the same FDA hurdle in the United States as Samsung.
Yet, in September last year, the FDA cleared the launch of Apple's hypertension detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, Series 11, and the Ultra 2 and 3 models.
Granted, the feature isn't entirely the same as the blood pressure readings that Samsung's feature provides. Apple's feature relies on other data points reviewed over 30-day periods to alert users if consistent signs of hypertension are detected.
Something is better than nothing, right? Galaxy Watch owners in the United States wouldn't be too out of line for asking Samsung what happened to this feature? It's already live in many countries across the globe, and even just north of the border in Canada.
Did someone at Samsung forgot to follow up with the FDA? Was there an objection raised by the department or some incurable defect found that would make it impossible for this feature to be rolled out for users in the United States?
It's been a very long time that users have been left in limbo and some clarity on the matter would be much appreciated. Given the silence on this matter, it's hard to imagine if any would be forthcoming.
The post Why is Samsung Watch blood pressure monitoring still not live in the US? appeared first on imeisource.