VIDEO: Galaxy S5 Heart Rate Sensor vs Heart Rate Apps

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a heart rate sensor at the back which integrates with its S Health application. This is a first heart rate hardware feature on a smart phone but there’s heaps of heart rate apps available on the Google Play Store.

So is the Galaxy S5’s heart rate sensor better or more accurate than the app based heart rate tools? The folks at PhoneArena had compared both and you can check out the results after the break.

Surprisingly both showed very similar results and if there’s any difference, the margin is reported to be very minimal. The app based heart rate sensors like Instant Heart Rate by Azumio uses the camera at the back and detects your pulse by measuring the colour changes on your finger. To get a reading, you’ll need to press your finger over the LED flash light and the camera lens simultaneously for a couple of seconds. Although this is slightly unconventional and likely to smudge your camera lens, the software based apps seems to do the job pretty well.

On the plus side, the Galaxy S5 implementation is more practical with a dedicated slot so that you won’t smudge the camera lens and integrates together with S Health for a complete fitness tracking. Apart from the Galaxy S5, its Gear 2 and Gear Fit Smart Watches also comes with a heart rate sensor but it measures your pulse from the top of your wrist.

[ SOURCE ]