Samsung only has two days to promote its next batch of foldables and health-focused wearables, which we expect to debut at Samsung Unpacked 2024. Watch Ultra, the South Korean tech giant decided to directly attack Apple’s recently reported difficulties in developing health monitoring technology for the Apple Watch 10.
On Sunday, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that the Apple Watch 10 may be delayed as the company tries to sort out its upcoming health-sensing features. Apple is trying to make a sensor for high blood pressure, but anonymous sources told Gurman it’s “not as reliable as hoped.” This feature may only give a vague impression of your overall blood pressure rather than a specific or accurate reading.
On Monday, Samsung previewed the health and wellness features of its next-generation Galaxy Watch, claiming that its new “BioActive sensor” uses a combination of photodiodes, making it more compact and more effective by increasing the number of LEDs. The Galaxy Watch maker claims in a press release that the sensor can “more accurately measure health indicators such as heart rate, sleep quality, blood oxygen levels and stress levels.”
Your new watch should include an Advanced Glycation End Products Index to give you an overall picture of how your current diet and lifestyle impact your metabolic health. The next watch will have more health monitoring features, but the company at least claims heart rate monitoring will be 30 percent more accurate than the Watch 6.
Like other Apple admirers, Samsung likely believed Gurman’s promise. The reference to blood oxygen monitoring is a pretty deep dig at Apple, which is still reeling from its ongoing conflict with health tech company Masimo Corp. The latter’s complaint to the International Trade Commission forced Apple to indefinitely suspend development of the blood oxygen sensor. Gurman noted that the sleep apnea feature planned for the next Apple Watch will not be implemented unless Apple can resolve its dispute with Masimo or make other arguments about its software before the ITC.
Bloomberg’s Apple experts have previously touted the Watch 10 as “Watch X,” noting that this rendition should be a significant change from previous renditions. The biggest new feature of Apple Watch 9 last year was the “double-tap” gesture. Although it is useful, it is not a feature that defines a new generation of wearable devices. Gurman noted that Apple may delay some Watch 10 features until 2025 due to these issues in developing health-sensing technology.
Regardless, Apple Watch Series X and Ultra 3 will still be equipped with the new chip. The highly regarded Apple Intelligence feature is still limited to the iPhone 15 Pro and the latest M-series iPads and Macs. All the new Siri features are still available on phones and iPads, and Gurman now claims we won’t see the best and biggest changes until 2025.
But gosh, at least we know what size we’re looking at in both companies’ new watches. The Galaxy Watch 7 may be available in 40mm and 44mm watch faces. Meanwhile, both versions of the Series 10, regardless of whether they have an “X” in the name or not, will be available in larger screen sizes, according to Bloomberg. One of them will have a 49mm screen, like the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2.
Speaking of Ultra, Samsung may reveal a massive new watch at Unpacked that’s designed to rival Apple’s rugged and expensive Watch models. There are fewer rumors about a new, cheaper Samsung Watch FE, although Gurman noted that an Apple Watch SE is indeed in development. The Cupertino company’s next product could be cheaper than the $250 model launching in 2022
