According to the latest reports, Samsung is currently working double time to rival Apple's next lineup of smartwears that is expected to arrive in the coming months. The South Korean tech firm's next-gen smartwatch, Gear S4, is said to include some features that no other smartwears have shown before. Based on a recently unearthed patent filing from Samsung, the Gear S4 could be the first smartwatch that is capable of measuring the user's blood pressure.
Having an accurate measurement of the blood pressure is a challenging feature to include in a small wearable device like the Samsung Gear smartwatches. Specifically, the smartwear should be able to use a non-invasive method of determining the user's blood pressure with high accuracy. For now, the only fitness wearable that can do such feat is the Omron HeartGuide, although based on a leaked patent, the Samsung Gear S4 will come even handier with the same blood pressure monitoring.
Instead of measuring the blood pressure by means of inflation, the Samsung Gear S4 is shown to follow a different principle, that is, by using light beams similar to heart rate sensors in order to detect scattered patterns. The actual blood pressure will be analyzed using these patterns, in which a special decoding algorithm will be used to return the blood pressure measurement.
Today's premium smartwatches and fitness trackers have yet to showcase blood pressure reading, even though it is a more vital information to learn than the user's heart rate. As most smartwears can already detect heart rates, Samsung is rumored to go farther by bringing the blood pressure monitoring component in the Gear S4. To note, some fitness trackers may be able to measure blood pressure, but only by connecting them to a third-party cuff.
Other rumored features of the Samsung Gear S4 include dual batteries, which will give the smartwatch longer battery life compared to its predecessor. Interestingly, the dual batteries will be integrated right inside the watch straps, thus also giving more space inside the Gear S4's main body. At this point, Samsung has no official announcement yet regarding the possible new contents of the Gear S3's successor.
