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S Health updated to Samsung Health, adds online doctor feature in US
What was formerly known as S Health will now be called Samsung Health, and US users now have access to online doctors 24/7, as demonstrated during the Galaxy S8 unpacking event.
S Health has come a long way: from a completely useless app that I had wished Samsung would get rid of back in the Galaxy S3 era to a relatively practical one. Though I personally still don’t use the heart rate sensor on my Galaxy S7 Edge except when taking selfies, it’s nice to have all the features that a regular fitness tracker would have right inside your smartphone.
Well, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 unpacking brought some important changes to this app. First is a brand-new name: S Health is no more, and Samsung Health will come preloaded on Galaxy S8 devices. Accordingly, Samsung has updated the app in the Play Store, which reflects the new name.
What really intrigues me, however, is the new feature that allows you to chat with an online doctor 24/7. The catch is that it’s a US-only feature for now.
What really intrigues me, however, is the new feature that allows you to chat with an online doctor 24/7. Samsung briefly showcased it during the Galaxy S8 event, and fortunately, the company has decided to add that feature for existing users as well. The catch is that it’s a US-only feature for now. Although it’s too early to tell whether this is another gimmick or not, if it does work well, it could be a major move in telemedicine. That’s something a country with a flawed healthcare system like the US needs desperately, but also something that has had considerable difficulty becoming a mainstream feature.
Along with these, the update brings a slew of other new features, which are outlined by the official changelog:
- S Health has changed its name to Samsung Health.
- Ask an Expert lets you have online doctor visits 24/7 (US only).
- Six main types of health management device have been added to Accessories (ACCU-CHEK included).
- You can add a custom pace-setter that matches your goals and performance level.
- Various bug fixes and improvements applied.
Do you use the Samsung Health app? How useful would you say it is? Let us know in the comments below!