Apple is developing a sleep-monitoring feature to be implemented on the Apple Watch 5. Here's how it's supposed to work
Apple Watch 5 will integrate a feature that users have been waiting for: sleep monitoring. Until now, the Cupertino-based company had preferred to focus on other features and had left the field open to third-party apps. But with the purchase of Beddit (a company that produces wearables) by Apple, the company has acquired the necessary know-how to implement the feature on the next Apple Watch.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has already started to carry out the first tests and could debut the sleep monitoring already on the Apple Watch 5, or on the model coming out in 2020. The new feature will force Apple to change some features of the wearable. Sleep monitoring requires a larger battery size, and the Cupertino-based company will have to think of an innovative solution if it doesn't want to increase the size of the smartwatch. The Apple Watch 5 with sleep monitoring will hit the market by the end of the year. Instead, the unveiling is set for mid-September.
What the Apple Watch 5 will look like
There aren't many rumors about the Apple Watch 5, but it is possible to make some predictions about what the device will look like. The size of the wearable will be very similar to that of the Apple Watch 4, with a likely reduction in bezel thickness. The processor will be upgraded to support sleep monitoring and to make the smartwatch increasingly independent from the smartphone.
As anticipated, Apple is working on new battery solutions. Sleep monitoring is an energy-intensive feature, and the Apple Watch's current battery power may not be enough to provide at least 24 hours of battery life. The Cupertino-based company is considering all the various options: from integrating a larger battery to developing a new wireless technology that would allow the device to be charged overnight.
How will sleep monitoring work
Apple has started testing the new feature, but there is no certainty that it will be implemented on the Apple Watch 5. If the tests don't yield convincing answers, the Cupertino-based company may even decide to delay the debut until 2020.
Sleep monitoring will collect data on users' rest and provide advice on what to decrease stress. The feature will be integrated within the device's Health app.