Galaxy Watch 3 to feature fall detection and new gesture controls

By Ewdison Then/July 26, 2020 8:11 pm EST

Samsung was expected to launch its new wearables ahead of its Unpacked event next month but neither the Galaxy Watch 3 nor the Galaxy Buds Live, a.k.a. "Bean", have shown up just yet. Of course, there are still a few days left for that to happen and it does seem that Samsung is already dropping the missing pieces in place to prepare for that. That does mean we're getting more information to work with, including some of the new features that will be coming to Samsung's next Apple Watch rival.

That Samsung is trying to catch up and surpass the Apple Watch is no surprise really. In addition to implementing ECG, Samsung took the next step to implement its blood pressure monitor functionality, something that Apple has yet to implement itself. This time, though, Samsung is also playing catch up with one other Apple Watch feature.

Fall detection has become a concern among consumers, especially since that "fall" can due to a myriad of factors, from heart attacks to accidents to even violence. The way the Galaxy Watch 3's system will work is pretty simple. It will ring the user for a minute and if it doesn't get a reaction, it will send the user's current location and a 5-second audio recording to emergency contacts. Alternatively, the user can also set up SOS contacts and calls beforehand and those would be activated in case of a fall.

Samsung smartwatches have been known for their touch-free gesture controls and the Galaxy Watch 3 will be adding a new one. Simply clench and unclench your fist to accept a call or shake your hand to ignore it. Not exactly touch-free, there will also be a new and more convenient way of taking screenshots by simply pressing both side buttons at the same time.

These features were discovered by XDA after digging through the Galaxy Watch 3 plugin that went live on the Google Play Store. This could hint that Samsung could indeed launch its new smartwatch and TWS earbuds in just a few days, perhaps paving the road for Unpacked 2020 on August 5.