Closing the gap with rivals through sleep and running data
At its annual developers conference in June 2022, Apple unveiled WatchOS 9 — a sweeping health-focused update that signals the company's deepening conviction that the wrist is where wellness meets technology. By adding sleep stage analysis, granular running metrics, and a medications manager, Apple is not merely adding features but articulating a vision: that a device worn closest to the body should understand it most completely. The update arrives as Apple commands more than a third of the global smartwatch market, yet chooses to compete as though it were the challenger.
- Apple faces mounting pressure from Fitbit, Garmin, and Oura — rivals whose health tracking capabilities have long outpaced the Apple Watch in key areas like sleep staging and running biomechanics.
- WatchOS 9 closes those gaps decisively, introducing REM and deep sleep analysis, vertical oscillation, stride length, and heart rate zone tracking that athletes and health-conscious users have been demanding for years.
- A new Medications app adds a layer of clinical utility — scanning pill labels, flagging dangerous drug interactions, and sending dose reminders — pushing the Watch further into territory once reserved for medical devices.
- With a developer preview live immediately and a public beta to follow, Apple is moving quickly to get the software into testers' hands before a fall launch targeting Series 4 and newer devices.
- Holding 36% of the global smartwatch market, Apple is not reacting from weakness — it is reinforcing dominance by transforming the Watch from a capable gadget into an ambitious personal health platform.
Apple used its annual WWDC developer conference in June 2022 to unveil WatchOS 9, an update that makes the clearest case yet for the Apple Watch as a serious health and wellness device. Coming this fall to Series 4 and newer, the software targets capability gaps that competitors like Fitbit, Garmin, and Samsung have exploited for years.
Runners receive the most visible upgrades: vertical oscillation, stride length, and ground contact time join the Watch's sensor suite, giving athletes the kind of biomechanical feedback previously found only on dedicated GPS watches. Heart rate zones, workout splits, and elevation data appear in a redesigned interface, while triathletes gain a multisport mode that transitions seamlessly between swimming, cycling, and running. Interval training with built-in rest periods is also supported.
Perhaps the most symbolically significant addition is Sleep Stages, which finally breaks overnight rest into REM, core, and deep categories — a feature rivals have offered for years. Apple also deepens its atrial fibrillation tools with an AFib history tracker that logs frequency and patterns over time, offering users and physicians richer context for managing the condition.
A new Medications app lets users scan pill labels or type names manually, flags potential drug interactions, and sends dose reminders — functioning even without the Watch nearby. Four new watch faces, six additional keyboard languages, quieter notifications during active use, and a double-pinch gesture for quick actions round out the release.
Apple shipped 36.1 percent of all smartwatches globally in early 2022, a position of comfortable dominance. Yet the breadth of WatchOS 9 suggests the company is unwilling to let that lead become complacency — a developer preview launched the same day as the announcement, with a public beta to follow before the fall release.
Apple announced WatchOS 9 on Monday at its annual developers conference, rolling out a suite of health and fitness features designed to position the Apple Watch as a more complete wellness device. The update, arriving this fall for the Apple Watch Series 4 and newer, represents the company's clearest signal yet that it sees health monitoring as the smartwatch's primary selling point—and that it intends to match the capabilities of established competitors like Fitbit, Samsung, Garmin, and Oura.
For runners, the new software introduces a set of performance metrics previously absent from Apple's ecosystem. Vertical oscillation, stride length, and ground contact time will give athletes granular data about their running form and efficiency. The watch will display workout segments, splits, and elevation changes in a redesigned view, while a new heart rate zone feature provides insight into workout intensity. Triathletes gain a multisport option that lets them seamlessly transition between running, cycling, and swimming without stopping and restarting their workout. A custom exercise mode accommodates interval training with built-in rest periods.
The most significant addition may be Sleep Stages, a feature that breaks down sleep into REM, core, and deep categories. This has been standard on fitness trackers from competitors for years, so its arrival on the Apple Watch closes a notable gap. The company is also enhancing its atrial fibrillation detection with a new AFib history feature that tracks frequency and patterns over time, giving users and their doctors more context about the heart condition.
Beyond fitness, WatchOS 9 introduces a Medications app that simplifies the process of logging pills and vitamins. Users can scan medication labels or type names manually, and the app will flag potential drug interactions. Reminders can be set for regular doses, and the app works even without an Apple Watch nearby. Four new watch faces—Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy—arrive alongside support for six additional keyboard languages. The software also refines notifications to be less intrusive when the watch is actively in use, adds a double-pinch gesture for quick actions like answering calls or snapping photos, and redesigns the dock to prioritize frequently used apps.
Apple's market position remains commanding. The company shipped 36.1 percent of all smartwatches globally in the first quarter of 2022, a slight uptick from 35.9 percent the year before. A separate analysis found Apple holding 28.9 percent of the broader watch and smartwatch market. These numbers suggest that while competitors have made inroads, Apple's lead is substantial enough to weather feature gaps. Still, the breadth of improvements in WatchOS 9 signals that the company is not content to rest on market dominance. A developer preview launched immediately after the announcement, with a public beta coming the following month, giving developers and early adopters time to test the software before its general release in the fall.
Notable Quotes
The update shows Apple's focus on health and fitness as key selling points for the Apple Watch— Apple's product strategy at WWDC 2022
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does Apple need to catch up on sleep tracking and running metrics? Aren't they already winning the smartwatch market?
They are winning, but winning on brand and ecosystem lock-in isn't the same as winning on features. Fitbit users have had sleep stage data for years. Garmin runners swear by their metrics. Apple's watch was good at notifications and payments, but if you cared deeply about fitness, you might still buy a Garmin alongside it.
So this is about making the Apple Watch the only watch someone needs?
Exactly. Right now, an athlete might wear an Apple Watch for daily life and a Garmin for serious training. WatchOS 9 is trying to make that second watch unnecessary. The running metrics, the sleep breakdown, the multisport tracking—these are the things that kept people buying alternatives.
Does adding a medications app fit that same logic?
It does, but it's a different angle. That's not about competing with Garmin. That's about making the watch essential for health management more broadly. Pills, heart rhythms, sleep quality—it's positioning the watch as a health hub, not just a fitness device.
And they're still the market leader while doing this?
By a comfortable margin. But markets shift. Samsung and Fitbit aren't standing still either. Apple's announcing all this now because they can see the gap closing. Better to lead the charge than react to it.