Samsung Galaxy Watch Predicts Fainting with 85% Accuracy in New Clinical Study

In an ongoing clinical study, Samsung has been able to use bio-data from the Galaxy Watch 6 to predict fainting episodes up to five minutes before they happened. No word on if or when this feature will be ready for public release, however.

The sort of fainting the watch is able to detect is VVS (vasovagal syncope), the most common kind and is usually brief and not dangerous on its own, yet any sudden collapse can lead to serious injuries. That is why Samsung and Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital focused on warning signs that appear before the blackout.

The published study looked at 132 patients who were suspected of having VVS following previous induced fainting tests. The Galaxy Watch 6 used its photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor to collect heart data, and an AI model then analyzed heart rate variability patterns for signs that fainting was approaching. The result was a prediction ...