Samsung has upgraded the Galaxy Watch sleep apnea feature to provide a 3-level AI assessment. In South Korea, it will first be available from November on the Ultra 2, Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring, while it remains unavailable in Japan.
On 28 October 2026, Samsung Electronics announced a new feature that uses AI to analyze the Galaxy Watch sleep apnea function and show the number of breathing disturbances per hour in 3 levels. The feature has been approved by South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and will first be available in South Korea from November on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring. The existing feature only indicated whether signs were present, whereas the new feature shows their frequency.
The new feature uses the Samsung Health Monitor app. Results are displayed when the user records 2 instances of at least 5 hours of sleep within 10 days. The display shows 3 levels, "mild," "occasional" and "frequent," together with a graph of the estimated number of occurrences per hour, such as 22. It is intended for people aged 18 or older living in South Korea who have never been diagnosed with sleep apnea. It is not a substitute for a medical diagnosis and is intended to prompt consultation.
In the United States, the feature received FDA 510(k) clearance on 20 July 2026. The feature itself received authorization as a medical device in South Korea in 2023, from the US FDA in 2024 and in Brazil in 2025, and is currently said to be available in 84 countries worldwide. Outside South Korea, availability is expected to vary by model, with devices running Wear OS 7.0 or later scheduled to receive the feature sequentially through software updates. Availability in Japan remains undecided in official announcements.