Galaxy Note 4’s ultraviolet sensor could help you stay safe in the sun

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Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 4 will feature an ultraviolet sensor that will help users stay safe in the sun, a new report claims. The device will supposedly provide users with a UV rating when pointed at the sun — then recommend how they can protect themselves from harmful rays.

Samsung has been building health and fitness features into its smartphones since launching S Health with the Galaxy S4 last March, which lets users track their weight, workouts, and diet. With the Galaxy S5, the South Korean company debuted its new heart rate monitor.

Samsung has something special up its sleeve for the Galaxy S5, however, according to SamMobile.

The Galaxy Note 4 will be the world’s first smartphone to sport an ultraviolet (UV) sensor, and its functionality will be incorporated within Samsung’s S Health app,” the site reports. “The sensor will be used to measure the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation and prevent users from damaging their skin.”

Users will reportedly hold up their Galaxy Note 4 and point its UV sensor at the sun to get a UV index rating. Based on that rating, S Health will provide advice on how users can keep themselves protected when their outside.

For example, for a low UV rating of 0-2, S Health will recommend sunglasses, and sunscreen for those who burn easily, SamMobile reports. For a moderate UV rating of 3-5, it will advise users to stay in the shade around midday when the sun is strongest, to wear sunglasses and a hat, and to apply SPF 30+ sunscreen every 2 hours.

There are also high, very high, and extreme ratings. For the latter, S Health will recommend avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., protective clothing and sunglasses, generously applying sunscreen, and avoiding bright, reflective surfaces “like sand, water and snow, which reflect UV and increase exposure.”

S Health will also offer users a list of true and false statements about sun protection and tanning in an effort to educate them and help them stay safe. You can read both lists on SamMobile.com via the source link below.

While Samsung’s famous for its gimmicks, a UV sensor could be hugely beneficial to a lot of smartphone users — particularly those who liver in warmer, sunnier climes. It will need to be reliable, however. Samsung’s heart rate monitor is rarely accurate, and so it kind of seems pointless using it.