Health · Public Health & Disease · 5 hrs ago
Samsung gets Korean approval for upgraded sleep apnea feature
South Korea approved Samsung’s upgraded sleep apnea feature for its Galaxy devices.
The feature uses an AI algorithm to count breathing disruptions per hour during sleep and classifies their frequency as mild, occasional or frequent.
It adds detail to the earlier feature, which only indicated whether signs of sleep apnea were detected.
In Korea, the update will start rolling out in November to the Galaxy Watch Ultra2, Galaxy Watch9 and Galaxy Ring, then reach some older watches through software updates.
Users need at least five hours of sleep recorded on two occasions within ten days to get a result through the Samsung Health Monitor app.
The result is a reference for a conversation with a specialist, not a substitute for one.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved Samsung’s upgraded sleep apnea feature for Galaxy wearables.
The AI-powered feature counts breathing disruptions per hour and classifies results as mild, occasional or frequent.
Samsung plans to begin the rollout in South Korea in November 2026 on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring.
Samsung says the feature needs two sleep recordings of at least five hours each within ten days to produce a result.
The rollout to older Galaxy Watch models is described differently by the reports: one names the Watch 7 and Watch 8, while the other also lists the original Watch Ultra and Watch 8 Classic.
- Who
- Samsung and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.
- What
- The ministry approved Samsung’s upgraded, AI-powered sleep apnea feature for Galaxy wearables.
- When
- The approval was announced on October 28, 2026. The South Korean rollout is planned to start in November 2026.
- Where
- South Korea.
- Why
- The feature analyzes overnight breathing disruptions and classifies their frequency. Samsung says its results can be a useful reference when talking to a specialist.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Samsung received South Korean approval for its original Galaxy Watch sleep apnea feature.
The US Food and Drug Administration granted De Novo authorization for the original feature.
The upgraded feature received FDA approval.
Samsung announced that South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety had approved the upgraded feature.
Samsung plans to start the South Korean rollout on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring.
- Approval authority
- South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety
- Result categories
- Mild, occasional or frequent
- Data needed
- Two sleep recordings of at least five hours each within ten days
- Initial rollout
- November 2026
- Initial devices
- Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring