Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurement was one of the Galaxy Watch Active 2's most anticipated features, but it is something no one can use to this day as Samsung is still working on getting the necessary approvals from government authorities before ECG tracking can be enabled. Furthermore, while ECG functionality was expected to go live in the first quarter of 2020, Samsung had confirmed that it would need extra time to make sure the feature works as intended.
Well, it seems Samsung has been able to cross both hurdles at the same time. The company has announced that South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has cleared the Galaxy Watch Active 2's ECG functionality. This means users in South Korea can finally take advantage of the ECG sensor to “measure and analyze their heart rhythm for irregularities indicating Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)” and also monitor their blood pressure.
Samsung will be providing an updated version of the Samsung Health app that enables ECG and blood pressure monitoring within the third quarter of the year, but the company isn't clear on whether this time frame is for all markets or if at least South Korean users will get the ECG feature right away. Samsung does detail how ECG tracking will work (users will be required to lightly place a finger on the back/top button for 30 seconds while keeping their forearm still), so we're assuming it will be enabling the feature in Korea soon.
It's worth noting that the availability of ECG and blood pressure monitoring in your country will depend on how quickly Samsung is able to gain the necessary approval from local authorities. In the US, approval will come from the FDA, but the coronavirus pandemic could result in more delays that could push the release of the feature even further. As usual, we'll let you know as and when Samsung makes any announcements, so stay tuned.
