What you need to know
- A new firmware update enables ECG and blood pressure monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 4 series.
- The software update rolls out to Canadian Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 owners.
- ECG monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 4 is already available in the US, but BP is still inactive.
From sleep recording to keeping an eye on your heart rate, health monitoring is one of the most popular reasons to buy a smartwatch or fitness tracker. Some recent product launches have put even more emphasis on health sensors, with the Galaxy Watch 4 being one of the most advanced. Well, some users get ECG and blood pressure monitoring via the Samsung Health Monitor app on their Galaxy smartwatches thanks to a new update.
SamMobile reported, via a tip from Twitter user @Da_Ali_G_Show, that Canadian owners of Galaxy Watch 4 receive a software update version R8xxXXU1FVC8 that enables both ECG and blood pressure monitoring on their watches. While US owners of the smartwatch have been able to use the ECG feature since launch when using the watch with a Samsung Galaxy phone, the blood pressure feature has been lacking from North America.
As one of the best Android smartwatches, the advanced health sensors in the Galaxy Watch 4, like the BIA sensor, make it excellent for monitoring your health. ECG collection and blood pressure monitoring will only make the watch better for those interested in these measurements. Once updated, the new features must be enabled in the Samsung Health app to start using them.
While Samsung has done a pretty good job of keeping its smartwatch fresh with updates, the Galaxy Watch 4 series still lacks Google Assistant, among other features that prevent it from being even more impressive. There’s still no one to say if or when the FDA in the US will approve the ability to monitor your blood pressure from the smartwatch, but it’s nice to see that Samsung is still working on bringing the feature to areas it can.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 runs the latest version of Wear OS 3 and has some of the most advanced health sensors you can put on your wrist.