Google acquired smartwatch company Cronologics, Fitbit acquires Vector and smartwatch hardware company Pebble, and so on. Tech companies, to stay competitive, are known for buying companies with technology they need to provide services and software for their customers instead of spending money towards R&D to develop certain features in-house. Apple purchases a few companies here and there, but Cupertino deliberates carefully before making its claim to acquire a business. The latest acquisition for Apple concerns sleep tracking company Beddit.
Beddit was purchased by Apple for an undisclosed amount, and the newly-acquired company had very little to say about the acquisition except the following:
Beddit has been acquired by Apple. Your personal data will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Apple Privacy Policy.
Beddit isn't just a software company; it makes its own sleep-tracking hardware in devices such as the Beddit 3 Sleep Monitor, but the company also has its own Beddit iOS app and Apple Watch app. In other words, the new Apple acquisition could indicate that Apple Watch users could see the inclusion of sleep tracking software in the Apple Watch 3.
Sleep tracking is a feature that some may not deem important, but it has become a staple on Samsung Gear smartwatches including the Gear S2 and Gear S2 Classic as well as the Gear S3 Frontier and Gear S3 Classic. Samsung has provided auto sleep tracking, though, so you don't need to press any buttons or tap the screen when you doze off to sleep: the Gear S3 conducts a heart rate test every hour or so on your wrist and can determine from your heart rate whether you're resting (asleep) or still awake.
Apple could provide sleep tracking as a new feature for the Apple Watch 3, but this is a rumor at this point and should be taken with a grain of salt. Other rumors pertaining to the Apple Watch 3 include the possibility of a micro-LED panel that would make the upcoming smartwatch thinner and lighter while providing better battery life and more vivid colors, and that the Apple Watch 3 will launch in Q3 2017. If analyst predictions are correct, Apple is partnering with Quanta Computer to improve the Apple Watch's battery life and make battery performance a staple feature to motivate the success of the Apple Watch 3.
