The UV sensor on Samsung’s next phablet flagship will reportedly notify users when they are in danger of damaging their skin after measuring the sun’s UV level.
Samsung has been quite serious with health and fitness features on its flagship smartphones, and will reportedly take it up a notch with a UV sensor on the upcoming Galaxy Note 4.
The Galaxy Note 4 is expected to feature all the latest whiz-bang specifications when it launches in September this year, including a QHD (2560×1440) screen and a Snapdragon 805 processor, but according to Samsung-dedicated website SamMobile, the fourth-generation Note flagship will also be unique in that it will be the first smartphone to come with a UV sensor for measuring the sun’s radiation.
The UV sensing functionality will be built into Samsung’s S Health app, which acts as the hub for all fitness-related features on the company’s phones. Based on the level of radiation detected by the sensor, the phone will offer users relevant guidance based on the sun’s UV level. According to SamMobile, users will need to maintain a “60 degree angle of elevation towards the sun against the back of the sensor,” and the phone will also have a quiz of sorts to enhance user knowledge about sunburns and UV radiation.
Like most of Samsung’s add-on features, the UV sensor could be considered a gimmick and might fly under the radar for most users. It’s certainly an interesting feature to say the least, though it remains to be seen how well it will work, given Samsung’s inability to implement something like a heart rate scanner correctly on devices like the Galaxy S5 and the company’s Gear smartwatches.