Samsung has a new pair of flagship smartphones, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, both of which are rock-solid in every sense of the word. Also, both incorporate all of the latest bells and whistles you would expect to find in a top-end device made by the world’s largest phone maker.

Some think that the Korean giant could do more than just upgrade its last year models; we find those upgrades important as new models are not only more powerful, hence faster, but also water-proof and come with longer lasting (bigger) batteries.

We don’t want to delve into the issue whether you should get yourself the new Samsung Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 edge or how it compares with the iPhone, or say, also newly announced LG G5. We want to look at these phones as health devices since they come with a number of sensors that make them tools people could use to take better care of their health. Let’s dive in…

Sensors

As we’ve just mentioned, the new Galaxy S models have as many sensors as it is possible to cram in a smartphone and make money out of it. There are:

• Movement sensors such as GPS, Gyroscope, Accelerometer and Magnetometer
• Environment sensors – Thermometer and Light sensors
• Proximity sensor
• Heart rate monitor which is also used to estimate of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2)

Movement sensors combined with heart rate monitoring capability are those that we care about the most. All of them were present in previous Galaxy S models (since S5) and we are not aware they got significant upgrades, so in a way, this could be an article about all Samsung flagship devices released since 2014.

S Health

While we expected, even craved for, some update to the S Health app, that didn’t happen. The latest version of the app was released on December 3, 2015, bringing Android 6.0, and support for Bluetooth Smart and ANT+ accessory search. Also, it included automated visual input tracking of bedtime and wake-up time through sleep time estimation and improved chart design, more convenient route guidance when cycling with a target path, and added goal guidance notification insights for the “Be more active” goal.

Samsung will want users to rely on the Galaxy S7 and the S Health app to manage their well-being.That being said, we must add that the S Health app in its existing form is one of the best apps in its category, and perhaps there was no need to update it in the first place.

Your health

With its virtually unlimited resources, Samsung will make sure everyone will want to buy the Galaxy S7 / Galaxy S7 edge. Therefore, we look at it as an mHealth tool that will undoubtedly enter the hospital setting. At very least, some physicians in the not so distant future could pull in information gathered by its sensors to make for a better diagnosis. Or patients themselves could use S Health to improve their well-being.

Perhaps that won’t happen in all parts of the world, but we’re sure Korean patients will rely on these devices during their doctor visits. And then, perhaps some hospital in the West which still hasn’t opted for an iOS-based system will go for Samsung devices, instead.

One way or another, we’re sure that more mHealth news involving Galaxy S7 smartphones are coming our way. And then your way, like it or not. 😉