Key Galaxy Watch 7 feature already rolling out for older watches

Samsung’s Unpacked event is just hours away and the company is almost certain to introduce the new Galaxy Watch 7 and the first Galaxy Watch Ultra.

One of the most anticipated new health features was announced earlier this year and will bring sleep apnea detection to the range.

However, it appears Samsung isn’t going to keep the feature for its newest devices. Older Galaxy Watch versions are beginning to receive the health tool prior to Unpacked on July 10.

Users in the One UI Watch 6 beta have started to receive the health tool, as noted by 9to5Google, via the companion Health Monitor smartphone app. The app also confirms that the feature can be accessed on watches as old as the Galaxy Watch 4. It seems the main pre-requisite is the blood oxygen sensor within the hardware.

As demonstrated by a screenshot posted to Reddit, the app explains that the feature will “track how many relative decreases in blood oxygen you have during sleep and see whether it’s enough to indicate moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea.” The app says that two nights of measuring will provide results, and after that the feature will automatically turn off.

Samsung announced the sleep apnea monitor had been cleared for use as a medical-grade device in the United States. However, it’s not clear at this point whether UK users will have the same privilege.

Sleep apnea is described by the Mayo Clinic as “a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.” It advises that “if you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea.”

There are a few different types of sleep apnea, but the most common is obstructive sleep apnea that “occurs when throat muscles relax and block the flow of air into the lungs.”

We’re likely to hear more about this feature, and others, when Samsung reveals its newest watches on Wednesday at Unpacked.