Samsung Health App Overhaul Announced to Rival Google Health

Samsung has announced a substantial revamp of its Health app, clearly targeting Google as a key competitor.

The updated Samsung Health app, set to launch on June 8, is labeled a “major update” by the Korean tech giant, and there are clear reasons for this designation.

The company is transitioning the app from merely a stats overview to a more personalized and proactive user experience. It relies heavily on AI, which is purportedly used to analyze key metrics and offer “simple, actionable guidance.”

This update seems to mirror the new Google Health app, which replaced the well-liked Fitbit app last month with a Gemini-focused, AI-driven approach, coinciding with the Fitbit Air release.

Although these apps share several similarities, a crucial difference between them might be decisive for users.

AI “insights” wherever you look

These days, it’s surprising for a tech company to redesign an app without placing AI at the forefront. Given the popularity of Galaxy AI, Samsung was never going to miss this trend.

The new Galaxy Health app’s homepage prominently features artificial intelligence, presenting “daily wellness tips” and an ‘Energy Score’ derived from collected data. This is similar to Google Health’s ‘Readiness’ score and Garmin’s ‘Body Battery’ metric, guiding users on whether to focus on exercise or recovery.

Samsung asserts that the new homepage “eliminates guesswork from health management.” However, given AI’s inconsistent history in health data interpretation, this claim warrants some skepticism.

This comprehensive overview is accompanied by five essential sub-categories: ‘Sleep’, ‘Activity’, ‘Nutrition’, ‘Mindfulness’ and ‘Vitals’. The latter introduces new metrics, measuring heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, and skin temperature upon waking, identifying any significant deviations from your baseline.

Additionally, the app introduces a ‘Heart Health Score’, replacing ‘Vascular Load’ to provide a more comprehensive view of the long-term effects of your current habits on heart health.

Samsung

Moreover, ‘Daily Cardio Load’ zeroes in on the cardiovascular demands of aerobic exercise, promoting a better balance between training and recovery. The ‘Fitness Index’ combines heart rate, VO2 max, and daily steps to gauge physical fitness relative to peers.

Samsung

While some of these ‘scores’ differ from Google Health’s offerings, both companies convey a similar message: let AI handle the data complexities and provide only the necessary insights.

This raises the question: do you trust Galaxy AI or Gemini to effectively manage your data? Personally, I’m skeptical.

A costly coach

Currently, the main distinction between Samsung and Google’s health apps is the subscription model, or lack thereof.

If you own a compatible Galaxy Watch or Galaxy Ring, you can access the full range of features in the Samsung Health app at no cost. The only limitation is whether your wearable can gather the necessary data for specific scores and AI insights, which may be restricted to the latest models.

On the other hand, many of Google Health’s features are behind a paywall. Specifically, a Google Health Premium subscription costs £7.99/$9.99 per month or £79.99/$99.99 annually.

Google

This includes many of the proactive AI-based insights, as well as the Gemini-powered Google Health Coach. It purports to function as a 24/7 health coach, utilizing your specific health data to respond to any queries you have.

In his 4.5-star Fitbit Air review, tester Thomas Deehan was quite impressed, calling it “the single biggest shake-up I’ve seen in a fitness tracking app in years.” Whether to subscribe depends on how valuable you find this, but Samsung has a clear advantage in offering free AI insights and tips.

Thomas Deehan / Foundry

Galaxy Watch 8 owners miss out… for now

There is a caveat, however. While Samsung offers all its new health features without a subscription, they will initially only be available on “the upcoming Galaxy Watch,” specifically the Galaxy Watch 9 series, rumored to launch on July 22.

It’s uncertain when or if older Galaxy Watch models or the Galaxy Ring will receive the upgrade. Although the current Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic are equipped with the necessary sensors to collect the data, there’s no guarantee they will receive the update.

Thomas Deehan / Foundry

In the meantime, starting June 8, users will have access to an app filled with new metrics and AI insights, even if their wearable device doesn’t yet support them. Hopefully, Samsung will address this gap soon.