Samsung announced that its FDA-cleared Sleep Apnea Feature will be available on the Galaxy Ring this fall, making it the first over-the-counter smart ring cleared to assess users' risk of the condition.

By bringing controlled sleep apnea risk assessment to a ring form factor, the new feature broadens Samsung's wearable health portfolio beyond general wellness tracking and gives users an additional way to spot possible symptoms of the prevalent but sometimes undetected sleep disorder.

"Starting this year, Galaxy Ring will become the first and only FDA-cleared, over-the-counter ring device for sleep apnea risk detection," Samsung digital health lead Sharanya Desai said during the company's Galaxy Unpacked event.

Samsung submitted its Sleep Apnea Feature v2.0 for 510(k) clearance in March, according to the Food and Drug Administration's database. On July 20, the FDA concluded that the product was significantly comparable to a legitimately marketed device, reports MobiHealthNews.

The enhanced function classifies the findings into three levels by using an AI system to determine how many breathing interruptions a user encounters each hour.

Over the course of ten days, users will wear the ring while sleeping for two nights. The purpose of the tool is to identify symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults who have never received a diagnosis.

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The feature does not offer a diagnosis or take the place of a medical professional's assessment and treatment. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, obstructive sleep apnea is a condition in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted by obstruction of the upper airway during sleep.

The Galaxy Ring update's exact release date has not been disclosed by Samsung.

In 2024, the FDA De Novo authorized the company's Galaxy Watch sleep apnea function. This version examines movement and blood-oxygen data gathered over two nights by a compatible Galaxy Watch.