Your next Galaxy Watch update could save you from a nasty fall

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 that the Galaxy Watch 6 could predict vasovagal syncope (VVS) — a common fainting episode — up to five minutes before it happens. The company partnered with Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital in South Korea, and the early results are promising.

If you’ve never heard of VVS, it’s the kind of fainting caused by a sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure, often triggered by stress, pain, exhaustion, or standing for too long. The blackout itself usually isn’t the dangerous part. The problem is the fall that comes after it. A sudden collapse can lead to fractures, concussions, or worse.

Samsung believes this is where a smartwatch can make a difference. In the study, 132 patients with symptoms related to fainting took part. Researchers used the Galaxy Watch 6’s photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, which is also used for heart-rate tracking, to monitor heart rate variability. An AI model then looked for patterns in the data that showed up before someone fainted.

The results, published in the European Heart Journal – Digital Health, show the system predicted fainting episodes with 84.6% accuracy. Samsung also reports the model had a clinical sensitivity of 90%, so it correctly identified most real cases before they happened.

This fainting prediction feature is still being researched, so it’s not available for download yet. Samsung hasn’t said if it 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, since regulatory approval and clinical testing take time.