Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 gets ECG approval at long last, but only in Korea

Ben Schoon | May 25 2020 - 5:46 am PT

After what feels like ages since its announcement in 2019, Samsung is finally delivering on one of the biggest features for its Galaxy Watch Active 2 — support for ECG (electrocardiogram). However, it’s only approved in a single country.

To better compete on the health and fitness front, Samsung took a note from the Apple Watch and added the needed hardware in the Galaxy Watch Active 2 to take ECG readings. However, that feature requires regulatory approval region by region, something that’s delayed the arrival of that feature for months. Earlier this year, Samsung said it was still working to deliver this feature, and now, the company is finally allowed to deliver on that promise.

In an official press release, Samsung confirms that South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety gave clearance for the Galaxy Watch Active 2’s ECG feature. That gives Samsung the green light to roll out a software update that can enable the functionality for its users in South Korea. This will arrive sometime in Q3 2020 with an update to the Samsung Health app.

‘We’re delighted to announce that the ECG function has been cleared by MFDS,’ said TaeJong Jay Yang, corporate SVP and head of health team, mobile communications Business at Samsung Electronics. ‘When you pair the advanced hardware of Galaxy watches with innovative software solutions, you can create unmatched experiences — such as in this case, convenient and accessible health check-ins for millions of users across the world. This marks just one way in which Samsung is pioneering to give everyone a simple, convenient, and informed picture of their overall health and wellness.’

https://player.vimeo.com/video/420575508

For now, though, South Korea is the only place Samsung is approved to roll this feature out. The United States’ FDA has yet to approve the feature and other regulatory bodies around the world have neglected to give the green light, too. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it’s likely that approval for Samsung will be pushed even further to the back burner.