Apple has long been rumored to be working on sleep tracking following its acquisition of Beddit in 2017. Sources inside Apple have leaked that the company is working on sleep tracking for the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will track sleep quality, movement, heart rate, and noises. Sources also indicate that there will be a new Sleep app for the Apple Watch. The new features are rumored to not require any additional hardware.
One of the problems with using the Apple Watch to track sleep has been the need to charge the Watch. The Watch will remind users to charge the device before bedtime so they can acquire data through the night. Additionally, the Watch will have a silent alarm that vibrates to wake users. More details about the new features should be released at Apple's media event on September 10th.
Apple's patent activity in Consumer Sleep Technology has been primarily concentrated in the Data Processing and Analytics category, and most of that activity is in the Smart Alarm subcategory. Apple still lags far behind Fitbit in patents in the sector. Will Apple's new sleep tracking features for Apple Watch make a Fitbit acquisition more likely?
