Wearable technology is moving beyond step counts and phone notifications. Samsung, Google, Apple, and university researchers are working on devices that can interpret body signals, support hearing, track health patterns, and even help people get dressed without using their hands.
The common thread is data. Smartwatches and earbuds already collect information about heart activity, sleep, movement, sound, and oxygen levels. New AI systems are being built to turn those signals into health insights, warnings, and guidance that can follow users through everyday life.
Samsung builds AI models for wearable health data
Samsung Research America’s Digital Health Team has presented two AI foundation models designed to learn from wearable biosignals. The research focuses on data captured by smartwatches, including heart activity, sleep, and physical activity.
The two models are called xMAE and HiMAE. xMAE learns the time-based relationships between different biosignals, helping it connect changes in one type of body data with changes in another. HiMAE looks for health patterns across multiple time scales in wearable time-series data.
Both models have received recognition from major machine learning conferences. xMAE was accepted to the International Conference on Machine Learning, while HiMAE was accepted to the International Conference on Learning Representations.
Sharanya Desai, Head of Digital Health Algorithms at Samsung Research America, described the work as a foundation for health tools that can deliver ongoing insights. “This research is significant because it lays the technical groundwork for delivering health insights that are efficient, precise, and continuous through a health foundation model.”
Samsung connects this research to a future built around preventive, personalised, and connected care. The company also points to health technology and healthcare partnerships as part of that future, where wearable information can support a broader view of a person’s health.
Earbuds and watches take on more health tasks
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds are also gaining a medical feature. The FDA approved Samsung’s hearing aid feature for Galaxy Buds 3 Pro and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, with availability planned in the US and some other markets later this year.
The feature is designed for people aged 18 and over with mild to moderate hearing loss. A hearing test produces medical-grade results in five minutes and identifies normal hearing or categorizes hearing loss as mild, moderate, severe, or profound.
Once enabled, the earbuds can amplify sounds such as whispers, distant voices, and high frequencies. The feature also works with noise elimination and beamforming in the earbuds, combining hearing support with the hardware already used to manage sound.
Google is taking a broader approach with Health Guardian, a new suite of tools for monitoring blood pressure, breathing, and insulin resistance on the Pixel Watch 5. The platform will track trends in each area, while Google’s AI analyzes the data and offers tailored health advice.
Google’s blood pressure monitoring combines pulse and motion patterns, then provides a data point on the first day of each month. Blood Pressure and Insulin Trends will be available on the Pixel Watch 3, Pixel Watch 4, Pixel Watch 5, and Fitbit Air this fall.
Insulin resistance tracking monitors energy efficiency and acts as an early warning for metabolic health. It examines heart rhythm, sleep quality, and activity, then uses AI to analyze those signals. Google’s WEAR-ME study also includes Quest Diagnostics as a partner.
Breathing detection will work on the Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Watch 5 and is available in several European countries. The platform can also detect critical drops in oxygen saturation by analyzing heart rate, motion, and altitude data with an AI-based algorithm.
If the watch detects a serious issue, it first tries to rouse the user through vibration and notifications. It then uses audible signals and a countdown before calling emergency services if needed. That sequence gives the user a chance to respond while creating a path to outside help when the watch detects a critical drop in oxygen saturation.
New wearable ideas reach beyond screens
Apple is considering a screen-free version of the Apple Watch, according to a report dated Monday 10 August 2026. Apple’s industrial design team has been exploring new wearable designs, including screen-free fitness trackers and smart rings.
The company is also looking at premium models beyond the Apple Watch Ultra and cheaper models below the Apple Watch SE. Eddy Cue supervises Apple’s health and fitness software divisions, while Apple is set to launch the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 in September.
Demand for Apple’s current watch line remains strong. Apple Watch sales increased by 21 percent in the first quarter of 2026, giving the company room to test designs that may not look like a traditional smartwatch.
Not every new wearable idea involves a watch or ring. On August 14, 2026, a South Korea-US team unveiled robotic technology that allows a person to suit up without using their hands or help from other people.
The system uses soft, flexible vines powered by air pressure. South Korea’s KAIST research university and Stanford University developed the robotic dressing technology, showing how wearable technology can include devices that work around the body rather than sitting on a wrist or in an ear.
For people focused on fitness and recovery, the Whoop 5.0 is another option, and a one-month free trial is currently available. Fitness and wellbeing editor Emilie Lavinia called it “the best health coach you’ll find outside of a human being” and praised the way it uses biometric data.
Together, these projects point to a wider shift in wearable technology. The next generation of devices may listen for hearing loss, watch for health changes, study long-term body signals, or assist with physical tasks. Screens will remain part of that picture, but they are no longer the only way wearables can interact with health and daily life.
Based on
- Samsung health AI models analyse wearable biosignal data — artificialintelligence-news.com
- Samsung Says A Hearing Aid Feature Is Coming To Galaxy Buds Later This Year — engadget.com
- Google’s Newest Pixel Watch Feature Can Monitor Your Blood Pressure And Insulin Resistance — engadget.com
- S Korea-US team unveils robotic technology that dresses the wearer | Study Focus | The JapanTimes Alpha Online — alpha.japantimes.co.jp
- Apple could be the next company to launch a Whoop rival | The Independent — independent.co.uk
