Product Launches
Samsung Rolls Out AI Sleep Apnea Severity Grading for Galaxy Watch and Ring in South Korea
By News Desk ·
Key takeaways
- Samsung's AI sleep apnea feature sorts breathing disturbances into mild, occasional and frequent categories on Galaxy Watch and Ring.
- The feature needs at least two nights of measurement within ten days, with the device worn for five hours each night.
- Samsung will release the update in South Korea in November 2026 for Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring.
- The US FDA cleared the feature in July 2026, while European CE approval is still pending.
Samsung Electronics is rolling out an AI-powered sleep apnea update for its Galaxy Watch and Ring that grades breathing disturbances into three severity levels, the company said. T3n reported the update follows FDA clearance in July 2026 and South Korean approval, with a South Korea launch set for November 2026.
How the Galaxy Sleep Apnea Grading Works
The expanded feature uses an AI algorithm on Galaxy devices including Watch and Ring to classify sleep apnea as mild, occasional or frequent, according to Samsung. Users need at least two overnight measurement sessions within ten days, wearing the ring or watch for five hours each time.
Samsung watches have offered sleep apnea detection since the Galaxy Watch 4, and the function became available in Germany in June 2025. Until now it only indicated whether a person had breathing pauses during the night. T3n cited AOK estimates that about three percent of women and five percent of men in Germany have obstructive sleep apnea, which it linked to daytime fatigue, concentration problems and higher risks of type 2 diabetes, heart attack and depression.
South Korea First, Europe Still Waiting
Samsung plans to distribute the update in South Korea in November 2026 for the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Ring. The company received approval from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety after the US FDA cleared the feature in July 2026.
Androidpolice wrote that the US could follow within a short time. No official date has been set for a possible European launch of the AI-based function, and CE approval from European authorities is still outstanding. Samsung has also not said when it will enable the feature on older models, which are expected to include the Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 7. The earlier sleep apnea function is to remain available on still older smartwatches, according to Samsung.
Samsung's AI Memory Profit Surge
Samsung reported record second-quarter 2026 operating profit of 89.4 trillion won, about $58.4 billion, a 19-fold year-over-year increase driven by AI memory chip demand, according to akta.pro company records. The same records put second-quarter 2026 revenue at 171 trillion won, about $112 billion, more than double the year-ago level.
Earlier Samsung Wearable and Software Launches
Samsung is adding a Memory app to One UI 9.5 that uses AI to aggregate screenshots, voice notes, links and text into a searchable archive, Engadget reported in November 2026. The app can generate titles, summaries and tags and may run on-device. GSMArena.com reported in November 2026 that Samsung launched the Galaxy A18 4G in Singapore with a MediaTek Helio G99+ chip instead of the Exynos 1610 used in the European version. BGR reported in November 2026 that Samsung added five new features to its Galaxy tablets in 2026, including AI integrations such as Bixby and Now Nudge and performance gains from the Galaxy Tab S12 series.