Apple Watch 3 Could Double Down on Sleep Tracking
The next-generation Apple Watch could come with a major update over last year's models, if a new Apple acquisition is any indication.
The Apple Watch 2 offers fitness tracking but not sleep tracking. Credit: Sam Rutherford/Tom's Guide
Apple has acquired a small company named Beddit, which creates a wide range of sleep-tracking apps for the iPhone. And although Apple didn't announce the buy, Beddit's own Privacy Policy let it slip, according to CNBC, which earlier reported on the acquisition.
Interestingly, Apple has removed any and all mention of the company's Apple Watch applications. It's no smoking gun, of course, but the move could signal that Beddit's features will be baked into an update in watchOS and become a big new feature in an Apple Watch Series 3.
MORE: iPhone 8 Rumors: What to Expect from the 10th Anniversary iPhone
According to the Privacy Policy, Beddit will collect, use, and disclose information obtained through the app "in accordance with the Apple Privacy Policy." Apple also says that its app will be capable of capturing heart rate and respiratory data and then sharing that with the Apple Health app, according to CNBC.
Beddit makes one of the more popular sleep trackers in Apple's App Store. When paired with a device that slips under your sheets, the app can track the quality of your sleep, your heart rate during sleep, and how many breaths you take per minute. It can also track snoring and tell you whether the environment in which you're sleeping is really ideal for getting a good night's rest.
Ultimately, it analyzes all of that information and gives you actionable data to improve your sleep. What's not immediately clear, however, is exactly what Apple wants with Beddit and how it plans to integrate the app into its range of products.
Apple is clearly looking to position its Apple Watch as a fitness and health tracker and has been bundling more health features into its device of late. Adding Beddit's app functions to the mix would help Apple deliver more actionable sleep information to users.
See also : 27 Coolest Things Apple's Workflow App Can Do
