Samsung’s new Galaxy Watch Active tracks blood pressure

NelsonG · February 20, 2019

You’ve got to hand it to Samsung. The company sure threw a LOT at us during today’s Unpacked event — five phones (including the foldable), earbuds, a fitness tracker and the Galaxy Watch Active, the company’s latest smartwatch.

The biggest news on the watch front finds the company embracing user health, much like the rest of the industry. The device features blood pressure tracking. The company hasn’t released a lot of details about how that will work, only noting that the feature was designed in conjunction with a UCSF researcher. It will be downloadable for users starting March 15.

There’s also improved stress tracking, which promises to “keep your stress levels in check” using breathing exercises and a guided course. Fitness tracking now automatically detects workouts as well, including runs, bike rides, rowing and the elliptical.

The design language looks minimal, a nice direction the company has taken on recent generations, featuring a simple, round case. Naturally, it can also charge wirelessly on the rear of the new S10.

The watch sports a 1.1-inch display covered in Gorilla Glass 3. It runs Tizen (like the rest of Samsung’s watches) and sports 4GB of RAM and a 239mAh battery.

The watch launches March 8, priced at $200. Samsung will also kick in a free charging pad for those who pre-order the wearable starting tomorrow. It comes in silver, black, rose gold and green.