Samsung has officially confirmed in a new announcement this week that it will release a new smartwatch later this year, the Galaxy Watch 6, and that it will be the first to include support for AFib notifications.
Starting with the release of the One UI Watch 5 later this year, Samsung has announced that it will begin rolling out support for Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications in 13 markets around the world. The Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Watch 4, and their variants will eventually receive the updated software, which is currently in beta.
Galaxy Watch’s Irregular Heart Rhythm Notifications will monitor your vitals for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart condition that can progress to more serious issues over time. This feature is also available on Fitbit and other brands’ products; however, Samsung is now ready to provide passive notifications on Galaxy Watch devices. On-demand ECG tests on the watch also aim to detect the same condition, so much of this new functionality makes use of the same hardware.
For a total of 13 markets around the world, Samsung has been granted clearance for the feature in the following countries: the United States, South Korea, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Georgia, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Panama, and the United Arab Emirates.
However, this brand-new feature will be demonstrated on brand-new hardware prior to the release of existing Galaxy Watch models.
In this announcement, Samsung made it clear that “upcoming Galaxy Watch devices” will be the first to feature this new feature when they come out “later this year.” This suggests the Galaxy Watch 6 series, which has been the subject of numerous leaks over the past few months.
The Irregular Heart Rhythm Notification feature will first be available on the upcoming Galaxy Watch devices later this year, as part of the new One UI 5 Watch and later expanded to previous editions.
A refreshed design, a new chipset, and the return of a “Classic” model with a rotating bezel are among the features expected to be included in the Galaxy Watch 6 series.
