Samsung’s Sleep Apnea Detection Reaches 70 Countries with Major Galaxy Watch Update

Galaxy Watch Sleep Apnea Detection Expands to 36 New Countries

Samsung is taking a significant leap forward in making health tracking more accessible worldwide. The company has expanded its sleep apnea detection feature to 36 additional countries, bringing the global reach of this life-saving functionality to a total of 70 countries and territories. Among the new regions added are most of Europe, alongside countries in South America, the Middle East, and Asia.

Originally introduced in South Korea and the U.S., this feature is now available in countries like Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the UK, and Australia. The tool works on Galaxy Watch4 and newer models running Wear OS 5.0+, but there’s a catch: it only functions when paired with a Samsung smartphone running Android 12 or later. Also, the feature becomes unavailable if the user travels to a country where it isn’t officially supported.

Sleep apnea is more common than many realize, affecting millions globally. It causes interrupted breathing during sleep, reducing oxygen levels and potentially leading to serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline. Detecting it early can be critical, and Samsung is now giving more users that opportunity without the need for specialized clinic visits.

The sleep apnea feature uses Samsung’s advanced BioActive Sensor to monitor blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels during sleep. By analyzing drops in oxygen that correspond with apnea and hypopnea events, the system estimates the likelihood of sleep apnea and provides users with a heads-up, prompting them to seek professional diagnosis and treatment if necessary.

This isn’t just another health gimmick – it’s a step toward mainstreaming medical-grade features in consumer tech. As some users rightly pointed out, this kind of tech could and should become a standard in all smartwatches. Samsung is setting a precedent, and it’s only a matter of time before others follow.

Hopefully, the next updates will lift limitations like the Samsung phone pairing and add global roaming support, so people aren’t locked out of life-saving features just because they’re traveling.