Technologies

A Sneak Peek at Samsung’s Plan to Help Us Defy Aging With the Galaxy Watch

Samsung’s newest Galaxy Watches will feature AI-powered sleep and fitness coaching and the first-ever noninvasive blood analysis that can help users fend off disease and support healthier aging.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watches are taking preventive care and healthy aging to the next level with personalized coaching and a new blood analysis feature you can use right from your wrist, no needle necessary. The update is part of a broader push by Samsung to help people take action on their health in the moment, to fend off chronic illness in the long run. I spoke with Dr. Hon Pak, Samsung’s senior vice president and head of digital health, to get a closer look at what’s coming to the Galaxy Watch and how the company is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with wearables.

«There’s illness, there’s cancer, and so many other conditions that are actually preventable,» Pak told CNET. «We know those behaviors are important, but in our busy lives, it’s often hard to keep them up. At Samsung, our mission is to meet people where they are and help support those healthy behaviors in a meaningful way.»

The new tools are expected to debut alongside the next Galaxy Watch in July and include a noninvasive blood test that measures antioxidant levels (or carotenoids), a cardiovascular health assessment, personalized sleep coaching and an AI-powered run assessment with live feedback to help you train smarter.

«What we really think we can do is bring this data about sleep, nutrition, activity and stress, and really contextualize it for the user,» Pak said.

At a time when there are a dizzying number of smartwatches and wearables available for consumers to choose from, Samsung aims to stand out by evolving its Galaxy Watch from a passive tracking device into a proactive health monitor. The goal is to help people take control of their health and keep them on track long-term. With more than 68 million people worldwide on Samsung Health, the company hopes to bridge the gap between that brief snapshot of data collected at the doctor’s office and the continuous health data collected by wearables that can help paint a more complete picture of your health.

Antioxidant detection, no needle needed

Beta-carotene is just one example of the many naturally occurring carotenoids, or antioxidants, found in vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes that can help neutralize toxins (free radicals) in the body, according to the National Institute of Health. These toxins, typically caused by stress, poor diet, smoking and aging, can build up over time and contribute to serious health problems like cancer, heart disease and premature aging. Currently, one of the most common ways to detect carotenoid levels is through a lab test by having your blood drawn.

With a new feature called the Antioxidant Index, the next Galaxy Watch will be able to measure carotenoid levels in the skin instantly without needles or lab work. Instead, you place your thumb on the back of the watch sensor for a few seconds.

«This is a noninvasive way to see how your diet and lifestyle may be affecting your antioxidant levels,» Pak said. «We use LED light sensors measuring four different wavelengths to detect beta-carotene in the skin. And we’ve validated the readings [from the Galaxy Watch] against levels in the blood,»

On the Galaxy Watch, people will receive a score from «low» to «adequate,» with some general guidance on habits to improve antioxidant levels. Longer-term, Samsung is working on more targeted AI-driven recommendations tied to specific recipes, supplements, and nutrition plans.

«If your levels are low, we might suggest more leafy greens or sweet potatoes,» Pak said. «Eventually, we want to tie this to personalized recommendations through nutrition coaching and recipe suggestions.»

Running

Samsung is also debuting a 12-minute run test to help Galaxy Watch owners establish a baseline fitness level, ranging from beginner (level one) to marathon-ready (level 10). Once the assessment is complete, the watch will generate a personalized training plan to help people reach specific distance goals, like running a 10K or half marathon.

You’ll also get real-time encouragement from an AI coach on the watch to help push you through a run, similar to Apple’s new Workout Buddy feature on the Apple Watch. Samsung’s AI coach will give guidance verbally like «push a little harder» or «ease up,» as well as adapt plans for future workouts based on your performance. As users progress, they’ll unlock new training challenges, making the program dynamic and goal-driven.

It’ll also help you put the training into context by showing you how it’s affecting other health indicators already on the watch, like VO2 max, a key indicator of overall fitness. Eventually, these health indicators could be used as training targets instead of just distance goals to map out a training plan.

«As we target more athletes clearly, that’s going to be something people are going to want to do,» Pak said. «That’s a teaser for what’s to come.»

Sleep

Sleep is another core puzzle piece in Samsung’s holistic approach to preventive care, and a major indicator of overall health, Pak said. Poor sleep has been linked to serious long-term risks like dementia, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

«A lot of body repair happens during sleep, both physical and mental,» he said.

A new feature called Bedtime Guidance builds on the Galaxy Watch’s existing sleep tracking tools, like sleep stage analysis and sleep apnea detection, by offering personalized recommendations for optimal sleep and wake times. It starts with a three-day analysis of your sleep habits to determine your unique circadian rhythm and sleep pressure (also known as sleep debt). From there, the watch provides tailored advice to help improve metrics like total sleep time and energy score based on your own sleep data.

Rather than simply sending a generic reminder to get eight hours of sleep, Bedtime Guidance recommends a personalized sleep and wake window. The goal is to help you recover from nights of poor or irregular sleep and improve alertness during the day. So, for example, if you were jet-lagged, this feature could (in theory) help reduce your sleep debt and get your sleep schedule back on track faster.

The Galaxy Watch also takes a more nuanced approach to coaching by factoring in real-world inputs collected by the watch, your Galaxy phone, and other Samsung devices when available. For example, it may suggest improving your sleep environment by lowering the thermostat or making the room darker.

«We have SmartThings connected with Samsung, so it can control your environment, things like humidity, temperature, lighting, or even automatically closing the blinds. We also have medical features, like sleep detection. After just a couple of nights, we may be able to detect signs of sleep apnea and suggest that you seek medical care,» Pak said.

Vascular Load measures strain on the heart

Another new metric is Vascular Load, which reflects the cumulative stress on your heart and vascular system while sleeping; stress that ideally should decrease overnight. Pak said the Galaxy Watch uses pulse-wave analysis and optical sensors to track trends in arterial stiffness and overall cardiovascular strain. These readings are translated into a low-to-high scale to help you understand how behaviors (like sodium or alcohol intake) may be contributing to long-term heart disease risk.

«Things like poor sleep, a bad diet or chronic stress can elevate your vascular load,» Pak said. «This is one way we’re trying to make those connections visible in a meaningful, measurable way.»

Who gets these features, and how much will they cost?

The new features are part of the One UI 8 Watch, which will be available on the newest Galaxy Watch series starting this month through a beta program (currently limited to customers in the US and South Korea with a Galaxy Watch 5 or newer). Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index are being introduced as Labs features, which means they’re considered experimental and available for early preview before their official release.

All of these features are expected to make their official debut with the next Galaxy Watch, which we expect to arrive in July. The availability of each specific feature will depend mostly on whether your Galaxy Watch has the advanced LED sensors necessary to power them. Vascular Load and Antioxidant Index, for example, will be available only on the Galaxy Watch Ultra and later, while the Running Coach feature will require the Galaxy Watch 7 or later.

Pricing is also still up in the air. During our interview, the company said it’s exploring a premium subscription model similar to Fitbit Premium or Garmin’s new Connect Plus, which requires a monthly subscription to unlock advanced coaching features. Ideally, the features would be included free with the new watch, while older models could access them behind a paywall. We’ll update this article as soon as Samsung shares more details on model eligibility and pricing.

Samsung’s future health plans

Optically based glucose measurement may not be too far off, Pak suggested. As Samsung continues to explore noninvasive medical testing, it’s clear the company sees wearables playing a growing role in day-to-day health tracking and as preventive care. Samsung’s goal is to make clinical-level insights accessible at home and turn wearable data into actionable guidance before a problem becomes serious.

«We believe wellness isn’t just one thing,» Pak said. «It’s activity, nutrition, mental health, and sleep combined.»

Whether it all works as intended (and whether people actually stick with it) will depend on Samsung’s execution. But one thing is clear: Samsung is making a serious play to turn your wrist into a true health hub.

Technologies

Your Pixel 10 Might Have Issues With Older Wireless Chargers

You might want to try taking the case off your phone in order to successfully charge it.

When Google introduced the Pixel 10 lineup in August, it became one of the first major Android phones to receive the Qi 2 wireless charging standard, which Google calls Pixelsnap. However, users noticed issues with wireless charging on the Pixel 10 almost immediately after its release.

Some people are having trouble charging their phone with the new Pixelsnap charger, and others are having issues with older wireless chargers, including Google’s own Pixel Stands. The bulk of the problems happen when a case is on the phone — whether it has the magnet array or not.

I own both the first and second generation Pixel Stands and both will charge my Pixel 10 Pro XL without an issue if there’s no case on it. However, when I add a case to my phone, the problems begin.

I have three cases for my phone, the Mous Super Thin Clear Case, the Magnetic Slim Case Fit by Grecazo, and a no-name soft TPU case. If my phone has any of those cases on and I attempt to charge it while it’s vertical, it starts to charge and then stops after a second or two, and keeps doing that.

I can fix this for the first-generation Pixel Stand by turning the phone horizontal, but it will still charge very slowly. I can’t seem to fix it at all for the Pixel Stand 2 — vertical, horizontal, it doesn’t charge.

Not everyone has this issue

The problem doesn’t seem to be universal. CNET editor Patrick Holland said he had no issues charging the Pixel 10 Pro during his time with it.

A Google spokesperson told me the Pixel 10 lineup is not optimized for older Qi wireless charging standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the phones won’t work with older wireless chargers.

Qi 2 is backwards-compatible with older standards, but the phone’s height and charging coil placement on both the phone and the charger are still factors. If you’re having problems, you might see if removing the case helps.

The prospect of potentially needing to replace your older wireless chargers with newer ones isn’t ideal, especially if you shelled out $80 for one or both of Google’s own Pixel Stands. Still, if you want the best wireless charging speed for your brand new Pixel 10 phone, it won’t be with wireless chargers that only support older Qi standards.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Sept. 19, #361

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Sept. 19, No. 361.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

The yellow category in Connections: Sports Edition is always easy, but today’s seemed like a no-brainer. The other categories aren’t too tough, either, especially for midwesterners. But if you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Spotted on TV.

Green group hint: Unusual team names.

Blue group hint: Air Jordan.

Purple group hint: The Big House is another one.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Things seen on an NFL sideline.

Green group: NBA teams with singular nicknames.

Blue group: Teams Michael Jordan played for.

Purple group: Big Ten stadiums.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is things seen on an NFL sideline. The four answers are benches, chains, coaches and medical tent.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is NBA teams with singular nicknames. The four answers are Heat, Jazz, Magic and Thunder.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams Michael Jordan played for. The four answers are Barons, Bulls, UNC and Wizards.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Big Ten stadiums. The four answers are Beaver, Camp Randall, Ohio and Spartan.

Technologies

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: Should You Upgrade?

Here’s a look at the key differences between Apple’s latest flagship noise-canceling earbuds compared with their predecessor.

With Apple releasing the AirPods Pro 3, folks who already own the AirPods Pro 2 may be wondering whether it’s worth upgrading.

A good portion of my full review of the AirPods Pro 3 is devoted to discussing the differences between the two models. Here’s how I conclude my review: «Several new features, such as Live Translation, will be available for the AirPods Pro 2, so many AirPods Pro 2 owners won’t feel the need to upgrade right away. But if you’ve been using AirPods Pro 2 for a while, it might be worth passing them on to a friend or relative and upgrading to the Pro 3s.»

Read more: Best wireless earbuds of 2025

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s stayed the same

The AirPods Pro 3’s list price is still $249 (£219, AU$429). That wasn’t a given with all the uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration tariffs, but we’ll see how the price shakes out on Amazon and other retailers, where AirPods models often get discounted.
The AirPods Pro 3 are powered by Apple’s H2 chip, the same one that powers the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 and Beats Powerbeats Pro 2. Rumors pointed to an H3 chip, but that didn’t happen.
No new color options; white is still the only option.
The AirPods Pro 3 stick with Bluetooth 5.3, just like the AirPods Pro 2 (though some true-wireless earbuds have already jumped to Bluetooth 6.0).
The buds still feature a MagSafe charging case with USB-C and wireless charging. However, no USB-C charging cable is included (Apple also left out a charging cable with the AirPods 4, though most people have a USB-C cable).

AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What’s changed

While they look similar to the previous model, the AirPods Pro 3 have been redesigned. Their geometric shape has changed a bit, with the angle of the bud shifted. They’re the same length but slightly smaller width-wise, slightly larger depth-wise and weigh a touch more (5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams on the AirPods Pro 2).
The AirPods Pro 3 come with new foam-infused silicone eartips in five sizes, including a new extra-extra small size.
The AirPods Pro 3 are equipped with heart-rate sensors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
2x better noise cancellation compared to the AirPods Pro 2, according to Apple.
While the AirPods Pro 3 have 10.7mm drivers like the AirPods Pro 2, those drivers have been upgraded to take advantage of the buds’ new multiport acoustic architecture, which moves more air through the buds and improves sound quality.
The AirPods Pro 3’s microphones have been upgraded.
The AirPods Pro 3’s Transparency Mode has been enhanced.
New Live Translation feature (also available for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 series, but not the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2).
The AirPods Pro 3’s battery life has improved to 8 hours with noise cancellation on and up to 10 hours in Hearing Aid mode with transparency on. The AirPods Pro 2 are rated for up to 6 hours of battery life with noise-canceling on.
Instead of being IPX4 splash-proof like the AirPods Pro 2, the AirPods Pro 3 got an IP57 rating (so did their charging case), which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water. (I poured water on them and they survived just fine.) They’re also dust-resistant.
The AirPods Pro’s case now includes a U2 chip, boosting Precision Finding range in the Find My app by 1.5x (requires an iPhone 17). The AirPods Pro 2’s case has the U1 chip.
Like with the AirPods 4, the AirPods Pro 3’s case no longer has a button for Bluetooth pairing. You simply double-tap on the front of the case to put the buds into Bluetooth pairing mode. The AirPods Pro 2 have a physical button for Bluetooth pairing.

The AirPods Pro 3’s new geometric shape and eartips are among the biggest changes

While the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Pro 2 look very similar at first glance, they do feel different in your ears. That’s because the AirPods Pro 3’s new eartips are made of silicone but infused with foam toward the front of the ear tip. Also, the angle of the bud has been adjusted so the eartips point more directly into your ear canals.

If you’re someone who couldn’t quite get a good fit with the original AirPods Pro or Pro 2, the new design could very well help you get a snugger, more secure fit. The fact is that a tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-canceling performance, and Apple redesigned the eartips to make sure users could hear the sound and noise-canceling upgrades with the AirPods Pro 3.

Alas, the new AirPods Pro 3 tips don’t work with earlier AirPods Pro models; they attach differently.

Do you really need the AirPods Pro 3’s heart-rate monitoring?

I personally don’t feel that heart-rate monitoring is a must-have feature, particularly if you already own a smartwatch with the feature. But for some folks, it will be a welcome addition. The heart-rate sensors have been custom-designed for the AirPods Pro 3 (they’re Apple’s smallest heart-rate sensors) and aren’t identical to the ones in the Powerbeats Pro 2, but the experience using the heart-rate monitoring feature is the same.

How much better are the AirPods Pro 3 than the AirPods Pro 2?

It’s always hard to put an exact percentage on how improved one generation of a product is to the next, and there are always some people who will prefer the older model for whatever reason. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are about 20-25% better.

While they both use the H2 chip, the newest AirPods have been redesigned on the outside and inside, and most people should notice the improvements to sound quality, noise cancellation and fit.

If you own the original AirPods Pro, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend upgrading, especially if your battery life has decreased.

If you’re happy with your AirPods Pro 2, there’s no hurry to upgrade unless your battery life has become an issue (some people have the older AirPods Pro 2 with a Lightning connector for charging instead of USB-C). The previous generation supports most of the same features as the AirPods Pro 3 (aside from heart-monitoring), including Live Translation and Hearing Aid mode.

It’s worth pointing out that the AirPods Pro 3 offer slightly better speech clarity for Hearing Aid mode (with Automatic Conversation Boost) and better battery life — up to 10 hours with Transparency and Hearing Aid mode. That makes the AirPods 3 the better choice if you have small to moderate hearing loss and plan to use your AirPods as hearing aids.

AirPods Pro 2 vs. AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods 4 with ANC spec comparison

	AirPods Pro 2	AirPods Pro 3	AirPods 4 with ANC
Weight (each earbud)	0.19 ounce (5.13 grams)	0.20 ounce (5.5 grams)	0.15 ounce (4.3 grams)
Weight (case)	1.79 ounces (50.8 grams)	1.55 ounces (43.99 grams)	1.22 ounces (34.7 grams)
Water resistant	IPX4	IP57	IP54
Sensors	Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor	Skin-detect sensor, Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor, heart-rate sensor	Optical in-ear sensor, Motion-detecting accelerometer, Speech-detecting accelerometer, Force sensor
Microphones	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone	Dual beamforming microphones, inward-facing microphone
Chip	H2	H2	H2
Conectivity	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Active Noise Cancelation, Transparency mode	Yes	Yes	Yes
Conversation Awareness, Adaptive Audio	Yes	Yes	Yes
Voice Isolation, Personalized volume	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery life	Up to 6 hours +30 hours with case	Up to 8 hours +24 hours with case	Up to 5 hours +30 hours with case
Wire in box	Yes	No	No
Launch Price	$249	$249	$179