Skip to main content

Samsung wants to talk about your health before Apple does

Gear Fit Watch Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung has sent out a pre-event invitation, saying it would like us to join it in a conversation about health, which will take place in San Francisco at the end of May. Health and fitness is big news in the world of smartphones and technology at the moment, with many companies launching wristbands, apps, and devices all designed to help us live longer, healthier lives. You know, so we can buy more of their gadgets.

Interestingly, Samsung’s invitation doesn’t come from its mobile division, but from Samsung Semiconductors. This does suggest we won’t be seeing any new hardware, and the event will concentrate more on sensors which could be built into future devices. Samsung has been on a health kick since the start of the 2014, introducing the Gear Fit wristband, and the Galaxy S5 complete with its heart rate monitor, and this is a sign it’s not slowing down.

Related Videos

While we’d like to see some new products on the day, it’s the timing of Samsung’s event, and the use of the phrase “Be there when it starts” which makes it all very interesting. May 28 is a few days before Apple’s WWDC 2014 conference begins, where if the rumors are correct, it will introduce its own health app known as HealthBook. This way, Samsung can reinforce any future claim to being “first” on the health and fitness mobile scene.

Apple has been linked with HealthBook for a while now, following a recruitment drive which saw a team of experts from the field join the company, and actions which may result in a tighter relationship with Nike. While HealthBook may end up being part of iOS 8, it’s also related to the gossip about the iWatch, Apple’s long-discussed wearable device. 

Samsung will open the doors to its event at 10:30 a.m. on May 28, and we’ll bring you the news on the day, just keep your expectations in check.

Editors' Recommendations

Forget Apple’s newest iPad — the Galaxy Tab S8 should be your next tablet
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 alongside the tenth-gen iPad.

For a while now, the tablet industry has been rather boring. That's not due to the lack of compelling devices, but because of lopsided competition. Apple’s iPads have reigned supreme, and with the arrival of iPadOS, Apple made it clear that it was serious at playing the tablet game.

The dominance has been particularly evident at the entry level, where the $329 iPad has been the default choice for an affordable, reliable tablet. That’s not the case anymore in 2022. The "entry-level" 10th-gen iPad now starts at $449. It looks fresh, offers USB-C nirvana, and comes with a new Magic Keyboard to sell its computing chops.

Read more
Apple Health vs. Samsung Health? What I learned after using both
The Apple Watch Series 8 and Galaxy Watch 5.

One of the main reasons to wear a smartwatch is to track your health, exercise, and sleep. Both Apple and Samsung have comprehensive health platforms, Apple Health and Samsung Health, but are they really much different from each other?

We’ve been using both, connected to the Apple Watch Series 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, to find out.
The apps

Read more
Apple vs. Samsung: Who has the best lock screen customization in 2022?
Lock screen comparison of One UI 5 and iOS 16

One of the most notable changes to arrive with iOS 16 was a massively overhauled lock screen customization system. Apple went all-in with the new feature, blending aesthetics with a functional flair brought to life by nifty widgets. 
Samsung soon followed suit with its own take on a deep lock screen customization system that made its debut with the One UI 5 update. Yes, there are similarities, but Samsung has done what Apple often does. Or as they say: "Good artists borrow, great artists steal."
Wallpapers – it's the little things that matter

Starting with the stock wallpaper selection, Apple offers a selection of six backgrounds, while Samsung lets you pick between 21 wallpaper options. Scrolling down in iOS 16, you will come across six Weather & Astronomy dynamic wallpapers, which are actually quite stunning to just tap and interact with. 
Next, you have seven emoji-loaded wallpapers and an equal number of artistic background art with solid as well as gradient color styles. When you pick the emoji wallpaper option, you can customize it with any emoji of your liking. Finally, you can have seven uniform-tone wallpapers with a clean fading texture. 
One UI 5 also takes a similar approach but offers fewer wallpapers across different categories. You get nine single-tone backgrounds with a gradient effect and four graphical wallpapers with solid coloring and sharp lines.  
You can adjust the gradient and saturation strength and create a combination from the spectrum option. Users get this facility with One UI 5 as well as iOS 16. Both ecosystems offer a custom wallpaper option that lets you shuffle photos from your photo gallery on the lock screen throughout the day. But there’s a crucial difference here. 

Read more