Samsung is preparing to turn its phones and wearables into an early warning system for cognitive decline, using a new Brain Health check that could flag dementia risk long before symptoms are obvious. The service, expected to debut at CES 2026, would analyze everyday device data to spot subtle changes in how people think, move, and interact, then nudge them toward medical follow up rather than trying to replace a diagnosis. If it works as described, it could shift brain screening from the clinic into the background of daily life.
That is an ambitious promise, and it lands at a moment when researchers are racing to catch Alzheimer and other dementias earlier, using so‑called digital biomarkers instead of invasive tests. Samsung is leaning on years of artificial intelligence work inside Samsung Research and on the vast sensor network of Galaxy phones, Galaxy Watch models, and other wearables, betting that passive monitoring can surface risk patterns that traditional checkups miss.
What Samsung’s Brain Health check is supposed to do
Samsung is said to be developing a Brain Health feature inside its health ecosystem that focuses specifically on early indicators of dementia rather than general wellness. Reporting describes the tool as a service that runs across Samsung smartphones and wearables, scanning for patterns that suggest cognitive decline and then presenting the user with a brain health check result instead of a vague wellness score. The company is reportedly positioning this as a way to detect the early signs of dementia risk before symptoms become more obvious, turning the Galaxy ecosystem into a kind of continuous screening layer rather than a one‑off test.
Several reports describe this Brain Health service as part of a broader push to improve health monitoring through connected devices, with Samsung treating cognitive function as a new vital sign alongside heart rate and sleep. One detailed account notes that Samsung Brain Health is being readied to identify signs of dementia risk, while another explains that the Feature will be unveiled at CES and is designed to detect the early signs of dementia. A separate report frames it as a Brain Health service that could be added to Samsung Health in the future, with the company using both mobile and wearable devices to power the analysis.
How it will work across phones and wearables
The Brain Health check is expected to live inside Samsung Health and to pull data from both smartphones and wearables, turning the devices people already carry into a distributed sensor network. Reports say Samsung may unveil a “Brain Health” service at CES 2026 that analyzes information from your mobile and wearable devices, suggesting that everything from motion sensors to interaction logs could feed into the cognitive model. That aligns with Samsung’s broader strategy of using Galaxy phones, Galaxy Watch devices, and other wearables as a unified health platform, where new services can be rolled out through software rather than new hardware.
One report notes that Samsung Health could gain a dedicated Brain Health section that taps into the company’s wearable ecosystem in the future, which would make the feature feel like a natural extension of existing heart, sleep, and stress dashboards. Another emphasizes that Samsung is expected to reveal a Brain Health service at CES that can detect early signs of dementia through the user’s wearables and smartphone, including personalised brain training programmes layered on top of the risk assessment. Together, these accounts suggest a system that not only flags potential problems but also offers tailored exercises, with Samsung leaning heavily on its existing health app and with According to Chosun, using both phones and wearables as the delivery mechanism.
The AI research that makes this possible
Samsung is not starting from scratch with Brain Health, it is building on artificial intelligence work that has already shown it can detect Alzheimer through everyday device use. Earlier this year, Samsung Research developed digital biomarkers that detect Alzheimer by analyzing how people interact with their phones, using AI to pick up on subtle changes in behavior that correlate with cognitive decline. That work, described as Samsung Uses AI to Detect Alzheimer Through Phone Data, shows that the company can train models on large volumes of interaction data and then infer risk without requiring specialized tests or new sensors.
A related effort, described as Samsung AI Detects Alzheimer Through Phone Use Patterns, explains that Samsung Research has developed AI that detects Alzheimer through phone use patterns, highlighting how changes in tapping, scrolling, and other behaviors can serve as early warning signs. Another report on Samsung Uses AI to Detect Alzheimer Through Phone Data reinforces that this approach relies on digital biomarkers rather than traditional imaging or lab work. Samsung has also publicly described using available smartphone and wearable data, with one account noting that Using Available Smartphone and Wearable Data, Samsung says it can analyze gait, sleep characteristics, and other behavioral signals to approximate hospital based dementia screenings, which is exactly the kind of foundation a Brain Health check would need.
Why Samsung is rolling this out at CES 2026
Samsung appears to be timing the Brain Health reveal to maximize attention at CES, the annual technology showcase where health features increasingly share the stage with TVs and phones. Multiple reports say Samsung may unveil or reveal a Brain Health service at CES 2026, framing it as a flagship announcement rather than a quiet software update. Positioning cognitive screening as a headline feature at CES signals that Samsung sees brain health as a major differentiator for its devices, not just a niche add on for enthusiasts.
One report explicitly states that Samsung is expected to reveal Brain Health Service at CES, noting that in recent years Samsung has put a lot of effort into improving health monitoring through smartphones and wearable devices. Another explains that Samsung will unveil a service that can spot early signs of dementia, adding that in September Samsung revealed a technology that uses AI to detect Alzheimer, which sets up a narrative arc from research prototype to consumer product. A separate account notes that the Feature to be unveiled at CES is focused on early signs of dementia, while another says Samsung will Reveal Brain Health Service at CES as part of its broader health strategy, and a further report notes that Samsung will unveil a service that can spot early signs of dementia, tying the launch directly to the Las Vegas event.
Digital biomarkers and the science behind brain screening
Underneath the marketing, Brain Health is essentially a bet on digital biomarkers, the idea that patterns in everyday device data can stand in for more invasive tests of brain function. Academic work has described the opportunities afforded by digital biomarkers, noting that the concept of brain health as a lifelong journey encourages researchers to track long term influences on cognitive and neurological function rather than waiting for acute symptoms. That perspective fits neatly with a phone based screening tool, which can watch for gradual changes in behavior over months or years instead of relying on a single clinic visit.
Researchers are also exploring how personalized artificial intelligence techniques and objective data can track mental health, which overlaps with the kind of modeling Samsung is pursuing. One PROJECT NARRATIVE from the NIH, for example, aims to utilize personalized artificial intelligence techniques and objective data collected from smartphones and wearables to detect rapid changes in major depressive disorder symptoms, showing how similar methods can be applied beyond dementia. Together with Samsung’s own AI work on Alzheimer detection, these efforts suggest that continuous, passive monitoring could become a standard part of brain health care, even if clinical validation and regulatory oversight still lag behind the technology.
How Brain Health could change everyday dementia screening
If Samsung delivers what it is promising, Brain Health could move dementia screening from hospitals into the background of daily life, catching risk patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed. Instead of scheduling a specialized test, a Galaxy phone and watch could quietly track gait, reaction times, sleep, and interaction patterns, then alert the user if the AI sees a concerning trend. That kind of passive system could be especially valuable for people who live far from major medical centers or who might dismiss early memory lapses as normal aging, since the device can prompt a conversation with a doctor before problems escalate.
Reports emphasize that Samsung’s next health app feature could watch for and prevent cognitive decline, suggesting that the service will not only flag risk but also encourage lifestyle changes or brain training. One account notes that Samsung is said to be developing a Brain Health feature that would watch out for the early indicators of dementia and that users should discuss any concerning results with their doctor, underscoring that the tool is a screening aid rather than a diagnostic authority. Another explains that Samsung’s next health app feature could watch for and prevent cognitive decline, while a related report notes that Wearables will play a central role, using whatever wearable devices you have got to feed the analysis.
Competition, Apple, and the race for brain metrics
Brain Health is also a competitive play, giving Samsung a headline feature in a space where rivals have focused more on heart and fitness metrics than on cognition. One report notes that Samsung’s Brain Health feature covers ground Apple has not touched yet, suggesting that the company sees an opening to differentiate Galaxy devices from the Apple Watch and iPhone, which have emphasized heart rhythm alerts, fall detection, and mental health check ins but not dedicated dementia screening. By framing brain health as a core part of its wearable strategy, Samsung is effectively challenging Apple to respond or risk looking cautious on a high stakes health issue.
The same report explains that Samsung has created a passive monitoring system for brain health, which could appeal to users who are already comfortable with continuous heart and sleep tracking. If Brain Health proves reliable and user friendly, it could tempt some Apple users to consider switching ecosystems in order to gain access to early dementia risk checks, especially in families with a history of Alzheimer. At the same time, Samsung is careful to present the feature as part of a broader health push, with Samsung’s Brain Health feature described as covering ground Apple has not touched yet while still fitting into the existing Samsung Health app and wearable lineup.
Privacy, limits, and what Brain Health cannot do
For all its promise, a phone based brain check raises hard questions about privacy, consent, and the limits of algorithmic screening. Turning interaction patterns and sensor data into a dementia risk score means collecting and analyzing some of the most intimate details of how a person lives, from sleep schedules to how often they unlock their phone. Samsung will need to convince users that this data is handled securely and transparently, and that Brain Health results are not being used for advertising, insurance decisions, or other secondary purposes that could harm people who are already vulnerable.
There is also the risk of overconfidence in what is, at its core, a statistical model rather than a clinical diagnosis. Reports stress that users should discuss any concerning Brain Health findings with their doctor, and that the feature is meant to watch for early signs rather than to label someone with dementia. One account from the consumer tech press notes that Samsung is said to be readying a Brain Health feature to check for early signs of dementia and that any results should be discussed with a doctor, while another from the business press explains that Home Technology Tech News reports Samsung may launch Brain Health to detect early signs of dementia before symptoms become more obvious. Those caveats will be crucial if Brain Health is to help people without causing unnecessary panic or false reassurance.
Supporting sources: Exploring the potential of digital biomarkers as a measure of brain ….
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