Samsung’s new Galaxy Watches add illness-flagging Vitals alerts
The Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 use five health signals to spot changes, while Oura already offers a similar Symptom Radar tool.
By Bianca Rossi · Entertainment Editor
2 min read
Samsung used Galaxy Unpacked 2026 in London to show off more than new foldable phones. The company also introduced a fresh generation of smartwatches with a health feature designed to warn wearers when their body signals drift from normal.
The feature, called Vitals, is coming to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. According to Samsung’s materials, it uses five biometric markers: heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation.
Vitals builds a personal health baseline from those measurements. When the watch detects a shift away from that baseline, the user gets an alert that something may be off.
Samsung frames the alert as a prompt to pay attention to possible illness or to take more recovery time. The feature does not appear in the company’s announcement as a formal diagnosis tool, and the information described is based on deviations in tracked biometrics.
What the watch is tracking
The five signals give Samsung’s new watches a broader view of the wearer’s body than a single heart-rate check. Heart rate and heart rate variability can reflect changes in strain or recovery, while respiratory rate, skin temperature and oxygen saturation add more context.
Samsung is also adding other health tools to the new watch line, including sleep apnea detection, according to the company’s Galaxy Unpacked presentation coverage. The Vitals feature sits inside that wider push to make the watch a more active health companion.
The new Galaxy Watches also come with improved battery life, which Samsung says supports round-the-clock wear. That matters for Vitals because the feature depends on regular biometric monitoring across the day and night.
Oura got there first
Samsung’s version is new for Galaxy Watches, but the idea is already familiar in the health-tracker market. Oura Ring has a Vitals page that gathers a wearer’s health biometrics in one place.
Inside Oura’s Vitals section is Symptom Radar, a feature that tracks biometrics, looks for signs of strain and encourages users to make daily choices based on how they feel.
That puts Samsung’s Vitals in the same general lane as Oura’s Symptom Radar: a wellness alert system built around baseline changes rather than a one-off measurement. Samsung is bringing that approach to a smartwatch format with the Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2.
The Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 are available for preorder now, according to Samsung’s launch details. The watches are scheduled to be available on Aug. 7.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.