Samsung Phones Could Soon Offer Video Chat-Based Medical Consultations In The UK

A new report claims Samsung Electronics could soon offer medical consultations with doctors through its smartphones in the U.K. The consultations will reportedly take place via video chat, and the doctors could get access to patients’ symptoms through the Health app.

Earlier this week, Financial Times reported that Samsung has partnered with subscription health service provider Babylon on a new project that could benefit a lot of consumers. The team-up between the two companies is said to allow Samsung phones sold in The U.K. to come equipped with Babylon’s AI-powered medical consultation technology. This means users can have medical consultations via video chat with doctors through this technology.

The technology is expected to offer users the option to arrange video consultations with a doctor, so they could have their symptoms checked through the Health app. The news outlet noted that with this deal, Babylon could propel further into the market for private medical care.

The virtual consultations are not for free. The pre-installed app on Samsung phones will offer services for £50 (US$67) a year or £25 (US$33) for a one-time appointment. Samsung will reportedly pay the health startup a license fee to use its technology, and the South Korean giant will also share revenues with the latter.

Babylon reportedly has this aggressive plan to enter international markets. As such, it recently entered a deal that allows it to offer its services through WeChat in China. Feedback for the service there isn’t that great, with some National Health Service doctors claiming Babylon’s service is cherry-picking patients who have simply medical cases, Engadget has learned.

Despite the accusations, Babylon is determined to bring its technology to the international scene. During the initial phase, the partnership between Samsung and Babylon will only be available in the U.K. Then after sometime, the tech giant and the health startup are expanding the service to smartphones sold in other markets around the world.

No information on which specific lineup of phones will get Babylon’s technology, but it’s safe to assume that the high-end handsets will be prioritized in this venture. No information on the launch date of the service was provided as well, so Sammobile is encouraging Samsung fans to wait for an official announcement from the company’s officials.