Erencan YılmazApple’s latest product launch drew the usual fanfare, but the standout announcement? The new “Sleep Score” feature for Apple Watch. Here’s the thing: while Apple is touting this as a big leap, Samsung Galaxy Watch users have been enjoying this functionality since 2023. So, not exactly groundbreaking for the wearables industry.
Sleep Score arrives on Apple Watch, bringing deeper insights to users
To break it down, Apple’s updated sleep tracking (rolling out to both new and older models with watchOS 26) now delivers a consolidated score based on data like blood oxygen, heart rate, and respiratory patterns. It’s a notable improvement over Apple’s earlier, bare-bones approach and nudges the Apple Watch further into the health-and-wellness market.
From a market perspective, Apple is clearly reacting to established competition. Samsung launched its own Sleep Score with the One UI 5 Watch update almost two years ago and has been widely recognized for the depth and precision of its offering. Their system doesn’t just provide a simple score; it breaks down sleep stages, total rest time, movement, and wake events, setting a high bar for comprehensive sleep analytics.
It’s no secret: Apple’s ecosystem has reach, but the company has a pattern of slow adoption when it comes to advanced health features. Samsung, on the other hand, has consistently led with early integration of new health tracking capabilities, from in-depth sleep analysis to blood pressure monitoring. Apple’s decision to finally introduce a sleep score underscores how Samsung’s strategy has shaped industry expectations.
For consumers, Apple’s update is a clear value add; no more need for third-party solutions to access this metric. For Samsung, this is market validation. Apple’s move isn’t just an incremental update; it’s an acknowledgement that Samsung’s long-term investment in wearable health tech has set the pace, prompting even the industry giant to follow suit.
Source: Sammobile
