Your next Galaxy Watch update could save you from a serious drop

Samsung wants your smartwatch to do more than count steps and buzz with notifications. Its latest research suggests the Galaxy Watch could eventually warn users before they faint.

In a new clinical study, Samsung reports The Galaxy Watch 6 can predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) – a common fainting episode – up to five minutes before it occurs. The company has partnered with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea and early results are promising.

If you’ve never heard of VVS, it’s a fainting spell caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, often caused by stress, pain, exhaustion, or standing for too long. The blackout is usually not the dangerous part. The problem is the decline that follows. A sudden fall can result in fractures, concussions, or worse.

Samsung believes that this is where a smartwatch can make a difference. 132 patients with fainting-related symptoms participated in the study. The researchers used the Galaxy Watch 6’s photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which is also used for heart rate tracking, to monitor heart rate variability. Then an AI model looked for patterns in the data that appeared before someone fainted.

Results, published in European Heart Journal – Digital HealthShow fainting events predicted by the system with 84.6% accuracy. Samsung also reports that the model had a diagnostic sensitivity of 90%, so it correctly identified the majority of true cases before they occurred.

This faint prediction feature is still being researched, so it is not available for download yet. Samsung has not said whether this will come as a software update or only on future Galaxy Watch models.

Samsung plans to work with more medical institutions and focus more on preventive care. However, don’t expect this feature on your Galaxy Watch right away, as regulatory approval and clinical testing take time.