While the Galaxy Watch Active 2 was nearly up there with an equally-specced Apple Watch upon its release in December 2019, its ECG (electrocardiogram) functionality got switched on much later. Even the recently-released Galaxy Watch 3 shipped with the feature disabled in several regions. Users based in the United States will be pleased to know that they will soon be able to take ECG readings from the comfort of their smartwatch.
The United States Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) gave Samsung the go-ahead to switch on ECG functionality on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3. Users will be able to access it via the Samsung Health Monitor app in the coming weeks. The app will also prompt users about symptoms like fatigue or dizziness. One can set to app the automatically send the complete ECG report to a pre-determined contact in case of any discrepancies.
Earlier this year, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 was certified to measure blood pressure in South Korea. The Galaxy Watch 3 will likely join it soon. Ideally, both features should make it to the United States once the FDA greenlights it. There’s no telling when that will happen, though, so the best we can do for now is sit tight.