Samsung Wants To Make Life Easier For Its Smart Watch Developers
Ten years ago, Samsung promised consumers that we would all be wearing watches that told us everything we would ever want to know about our health. The company was right at the top of its industry and looking to build the future.
In private, though, the Korean hardware giant didn’t really believe in a lot of its statements. While it saw health monitoring as a long-range goal, getting there in the short term seemed like a bit of a stretch.
Perceptions, though, began to change when other device managers started bringing out impressive health-monitoring wearable technologies. Wristwatches gained the ability to track things like blood pressure and sleep patterns. And some could even replicate blood oxygenation sensors previously only found in hospitals.
These additions were impressive, and they arrived sooner than Samsung expected. As such, the company was left a little flat-footed, trying to keep pace with the competition.
Unfortunately, while the Korean giant did eventually make some good wearables, it had already fallen behind the competition. Lack of investment in research and development meant that it was quite some way behind.
In 2022, though, the company is attempting to turn things around. It wants to make life easier for developers so that more people join its platform.
Samsung announced the latest round of changes at its Developer Conference. Developers will now gain access to a host of tools to help them make better software for Galaxy Watch devices.
According to executive VP Jay Yang, the new systems Samsung is putting in place will make it easier for developers to communicate their needs, and vice versa. The hope is that collaborations will spur demand for the Galaxy Watch5 smartwatch. Now that the new handset has arrived, retailers are offering sharp discounts on the Watch4, something you can shop here for.
Partnerships With Samsung Privileged Health SDK
The initiative will involve Samsung bringing partners into its Privileged health SDK programme. The hope is that industry leaders will get the tools they need to implement new and effective technologies in Galaxy Smartwatch devices.
For instance, Samsung is looking for partners to help it improve its Tobii eye-tracking technology. It wants to invest in concepts that will make users safer, for instance, by warning them when they are getting drowsy or sleepy. The company sees smartwatches as a way to reduce mishaps and keep people safer.
Car makers and insurers are particularly interested in such technology. They want systems that will protect people from automobile accidents and help keep pedestrians safe on the road.
Fall Detection
Samsung is also working with developers to improve its fall detection API. Software professionals need to mature the technology to reduce the number of false positives.
Fall detection is essential for vulnerable people, particularly the elderly. Devices that can detect if a fall occurred can automatically call emergency services for assistance.
Unfortunately, the software still has a few bugs. Smartwatches (from other manufacturers) have been known to call ambulance teams while users have been on theme park rides. Onboard sensors are not intelligent enough to tell the difference between a trip and a rollercoaster ride. This needs to change.
Samsung hopes that its fall detection API will make life easier for developers. The South Korean company says that developers will be able to set adjustable sensitivity settings to fine-tune their apps. It also says that they will be able to program systems whether people are moving, stationery, or engaged in exercise. In other words, fall detection applications will have context.
End-To-End Health
Samsung also wants to introduce an open-source end-to-end health solution. The company proposes combining its backend system with apps and health SDK. Hospitals, clinics and other health establishments will be able to get insights and share them with their patients and clients.
Improving and streamlining data sharing will make it easier for participants to join studies. Samsung believes that it can improve onboarding considerably, reducing friction and costs. Health data systems will also make it easier for the company to keep any data secure, protecting participants’ privacy.
Improved Fitness
On the consumer end, Samsung is also making changes. The company is shifting to the Wear OS 3 platform for all its new wearables and wants to work with Google to offer end-users better services.
At the moment, the system is still in beta testing. But it will allow users to easily combine their Samsung and Google accounts into a single platform for assessing their health and fitness data, a considerable improvement over the old setup.
Comments