Samsung Health, Formerly Named S Health, Features 24/7 Doctor Support In US

Samsung has updated its S Health to introduce new features to users of its all-in-one healthy lifestyle companion app. The South Korea giant has also given the app a new moniker ahead of its official debut with the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ later this month.

On Tuesday, SamMobile learned that S Health has been renamed to Samsung Health, a move that speaks of the application’s expanded functionality. Samsung Health will come pre-installed on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, so it was previously expected to not be available to other Samsung phones until the new flagship smartphones arrive on April 21. However, consumers can now see Samsung Health on the Google Play Store.

It’s clear that Apple’s biggest rival has changed its mind and has instead rolled out the updated S Health earlier than expected. The rollout is also large-scale, so even Android phones from other manufacturers will be able to download the Samsung Health app. The only requirement that other phones should meet is having Android 4.4 or higher versions of the mobile OS installed.

READ: Samsung releasing foldable smartphones in 2019

The biggest addition to Samsung Health is the Ask An Expert feature. This is a tool that allows users to have access to doctor support 24/7. Users can schedule a visit or ask a doctor online for help using this new feature that will launch in the U.S. exclusively. Unfortunately, the service will not be free of charge. Users will be asked to pay a $59 fee to get in touch with the over 1,200 board certified doctors in the country. What’s good though is the service the doctors will be providing is not limited to consultation; they can diagnose and give prescriptions to users as well, as pointed out by SlashGear.

Just like S Health before, Samsung Health will be that tracking app to monitor a user’s physical exercise, daily activities, diet and many more. Interestingly, users now have this Me feature that lets them access more than 100 lifestyle, food and fitness trackers. There is also a Together feature that enables users to compare their fitness goals with their friends’ goals. This also allows users to challenge one another in beating their fitness goals, as indicated in a press release Samsung released last week.

Supported Accessories have also been expanded to include six main types of health management devices. The app also keeps track of many other things, such as caffeine consumption, sugar intake, blood pressure, weight, as well as sleep and stress levels. Lastly, the new version of S Health comes with various bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.