Samsung to upgrade sleep apnea screening in South Korea

Samsung says it will introduce an upgraded, AI-powered sleep apnea screening feature for Galaxy wearables in South Korea in November, after approval from the country’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The feature is designed to provide more detail about breathing disturbances during sleep than the existing screening tool, but Samsung says it does not diagnose sleep apnea or replace professional care. The updated feature will estimate the number of breathing disturbances per hour and classify results into three levels: mild, occasional or frequent. To receive a result, users must record at least five hours of sleep on two occasions within a 10-day period, according to Samsung. Reports differ on which devices will receive the first South Korean rollout. One account names the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, while another also lists the Galaxy Watch 9. Samsung’s announcement, as relayed in the reports, confirms the November launch in South Korea, but the initial device lineup is not consistent across accounts. Samsung has said the Galaxy Watch 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 will receive the upgrade later through a software update, provided they run Wear OS 7 or newer. The timing for...