Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) keeps showing off the goodies today, now unveiling its HealthKit feature—presumably that so-called “Healthbook” app we’ve been hearing rumors about for months. HealthKit comes with an app simply called Health, and together, they’re designed to store and analyze health data.
HealthKit tracks users’ health
HealthKit uses sensors to track a number of health-related statistics, like how many steps the user has taken, how many calories the person has consumed, and heart rate. The app also tracks blood pressure and a number of other vitals, keeping them in a single place for easy access. It is bundled in with iOS 8 and works as a sort of information hub. It is designed to work with other peripheral devices, so calling it an app might be a bit of an understatement.
The related Health app allows third-party developers to use HealthKit to develop their own apps. Unsurprisingly, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) named Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) as one of its initial partners through the Health App and the Nike+ smart device brand.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) also revealed that the prestigious May Clinic is working on a special monitoring tool for patients that integrates with Health. The way it works is simple. Whenever a patient takes his or her blood pressure, Health saves the data and then compares it to the patient’s previous results. If the measurement is abnormal, then it sends the information directly to the user’s doctor.
HealthKit could integrate with iWatch
In addition to rumors about HealthKit, we’ve also heard plenty of rumors about the so-called iWatch. There are not speculations throughout the tech community that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s HealthKit is targeted at tying iOS 8 and the iPhone into the supposedly upcoming iWatch. Some believe that by picking HealthKit apart, they will be able to find suggestions about how Apple’s rumored iWatch might work.
HealthKit marks Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s first foray into the health and fitness segment of the tech industry. Competitor Samsung has already said it will be entering the segment as well by offering a cloud health database.
