Rumored 'Healthbook' App for iOS 8 Suggests Significant Health Component to iWatch

Gigatel said:

I can understand these measurements for diabetics or folks with blood pressure issues, etc.

But is this really appealing to folks that don't have any real health issues? Don't get me wrong, this is all pretty cool, especially if iWatch can do all this. But as a normal, healthy adult, I see this more as a novelty than anything. Measurements are all fine and dandy but what do I need them for? Just simple health tracking?? There's already a ton of things that do this.

I can't see iWatch being geared to a niche market. So beyond this, obvious notifications, what else is gonna be used for?

We can all speculate but I anxiously await Apple's move into wearables.

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I don't think these health features will be the primary function of this watch. But if you can get people who wear this watch to also start caring more about their health, this could have profound implications.

This would not only be a convenient notification device but also the ultimate fitness accessory. If they can indeed get blood pressure, heart rate, and even glucose levels this will be a revolutionary health device. Many people don't really know/care about these issues and if Apple can sell these in the millions and improve the health of millions, this product will be amazing.

Think big!

This might only be the first generation, but imagine as sensors improve we might get a full blood work from our watch. Sounds Sci-Fi-ish now, but technology is moving so fast that we'll just have to wait and see.

As for being a 'normal' adult. I spent much of my adult life until I was around 35 before I found out the slightly odd feeling I experienced periodically was very low blood pressure. This kind of device could be useful for all kinds of people. Even if they don't yet know it.

My wife is extremely fit, walks six to seven miles each day, but unfortunately has a severe low blood sugar (glucose) level problem at the moment and has collapsed twice with an ambulance called each time.

She's since had several visits to the doctor and three visits to the not-so-local hospital to sat in line for blood sugar tests. The tests are being done in a way to try to isolate the problem, a bit like Indians circling round the wagon train, which is a rather hit-and-miss way of doing it.

I love the idea of being able to monitor glucose levels, so where do I sign up?

.

osx11 said:

except iOS won't get released at WWDC.

So we're probably looking at a Late Summer/Early Fall launch....

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I think if a preview or beta of iOS 8 isn't released at WWDC there will be a lot of disappointed people.

brsboarder said:

If you cared about your health you'd exercise. Don't need a $200 watch to help you with this. Yes, those things are useless, but they don't increase the cost of the product. Myfitnesspal or whatever its called works perfectly for most people.

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Additional motivation won't hurt. Most people know exactly what they should be doing to be healthy - but choose not to do so.

If this tech product could provide additional motivation and Apple sells these in the millions, this could have a huge impact and actually improve peoples' lives.

Apple always says they want to enrich peoples' lives. Extending lives is important for Apple; it means that their customers remain customers for a longer period of time. ;-)

More data for the NSA. Thank you, Apple!

luckydcxx said:

I think if a preview or beta of iOS 8 isn't released at WWDC there will be a lot of disappointed people.

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They probably will preview iOS 8 at WWDC, but they wouldn't have to announce these health related features at that time.

However, I wonder if Apple is indeed going to release all of the following in the 2nd half of 2014:

- iOS 8
- OS X Mavericks successor
- iWatch?
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPad Mini

Not to mention everything else that should be updated this year:
- iPods
- MacMini
- MacBook Pro
- MacBook Air
- Apple Displays?
- Apple TV?

Regardless of what gets releases this year, exciting times ahead for Apple fans.

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Mr. Retrofire said:

More data for the NSA. Thank you, Apple!

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I still trust Apple more than Google.

Why can't Apple refine the UI and add new features at the same time? One would presume it's not the exact same people working on both. If all we get with iOS 8 is a refinement of iOS 7 that will be pretty disappointing.

Rogifan said:

Why can't Apple refine the UI and add new features at the same time? One would presume it's not the exact same people working on both. If all we get with iOS 8 is a refinement of iOS 7 that will be pretty disappointing.

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Disappointing and Apple have become synonymous as of late.

carjakester said:

this iwatch gets more and more exciting with every rumor, i can't wait!

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Personally I can't wait. I love to workout and likes know my output data.

iLondoner said:

My wife has a severe low blood sugar (glucose) level problem at the moment and has collapsed twice with an ambulance called each time.

She's since had several visits to the doctor and three visits to the not-so-local hospital to sat in line for blood sugar tests. The tests are being done in a way to try to isolate the problem, a bit like Indians circling round the wagon train, which is a rather hit-and-miss way of doing it.

I love the idea of being able to monitor glucose levels, so where do I sign up?

.

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You should buy a regular glucose meter from Lifescan or Abbot. You can buy them at a chemist or a supermarket. No need for doctors (although a consultation is recommended). Measure about 5 times a day and keep a log to present to the doctor after a number of weeks.


Glucose monitoring will not be a functionality of the product that might be introduced this year. Non invasive monitoring is not yet accurate enough and will need a number of years to become accurate enough. Traditional glucose monitoring needs lancets to puncture your finger and it is very unlikely that Apple will go with that technology.

all i can say is that when samesung tried to beat apple to the punch with their crappy watch, they couldn't have even dreamt of something like this.

Does this mean I should hold off buying a Withings or FitBit scale, and hope there's an iScale on the horizon?

osx11 said:

They probably will preview iOS 8 at WWDC, but they wouldn't have to announce these health related features at that time.

However, I wonder if Apple is indeed going to release all of the following in the 2nd half of 2014:

- iOS 8
- OS X Mavericks successor
- iWatch?
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPad Mini

Not to mention everything else that should be updated this year:
- iPods
- MacMini
- MacBook Pro
- MacBook Air
- Apple Displays?
- Apple TV?

Regardless of what gets releases this year, exciting times ahead for Apple fans.

----------



I still trust Apple more than Google.

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One thing is missing - Aperture with lens profile and layers...

Whatever it is, it has to be enticing enough for me to remember to put on a watch in the morning. Wow me Apple.....

Sky Blue said:

I can imagine a lot of people not really into health trackers being turned off by iWatch, but it sounds really good to me.

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But fitness tracker is just one side dish not the entire meal.

Also I think these trackers probably attract people not previously into being active but want to change their lifestyle. Speaking for myself, I was never into fitness in my life until I bought a Fuel Band out if curiousity. It first shamed my sedentary ways then challenged me. I now jog 5mi a day 5 times a week.

brsboarder said:

this is going to be a very big failure.
There is a subset of people who would care for this (Lululemon people) and its a small population.

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Not unless it becomes a government requirement for health care, or it becomes a way to detect if you are showing terrorist tendencies as you walk by a trash can on the street corner. I can see all kinds of uses for this. Monitoring if you were really asleep at the wheel or not (just download the black box in your car and your iPhone). Nice!

luckydcxx said:

all i can say is that when samesung tried to beat apple to the punch with their crappy watch, they couldn't have even dreamt of something like this.

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Yes but I`m sure they have started some work on adding health sensors to their gear just about...... now!

brsboarder said:

If you cared about your health you'd exercise. Don't need a $200 watch to help you with this. Yes, those things are useless, but they don't increase the cost of the product. Myfitnesspal or whatever its called works perfectly for most people.

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Believe it or not, there are people who exercise and eat healthy foods but who still have health problems, be they caused by genetics or illness. This is especially true as people get older — eventually we all fall apart. I think that vital-signs measurement capabilities in a watch would appeal to a huge number of people.

As for motivation, how about an app that causes the iWatch to deliver electric shocks to you and emit an annoying sound until you do your daily workout? You'd probably need to buy the optional iBatteryBelt to deliver enough of a shock, though.

And which vital sign is going to help you? Pulse-not really, you'll know if your pulse is a problem if you start having palpitations, chest pain etc. Blood pressure-not really either, its really symptoms that matter not a reading. Also, Bp probably won't be able to be measured using this watch. Hmmm temperature, again fairly useless. This may be good for triathletes, marathon runners etc, but they don't buy millions of devices. It's a fairly small population (I would know, I'm one of them, and I'm also in the medical field)

Ubele said:

Believe it or not, there are people who exercise and eat healthy foods but who still have health problems, be they caused by genetics or illness. This is especially true as people get older — eventually we all fall apart. I think that vital-signs measurement capabilities in a watch would appeal to a huge number of people.

As for motivation, how about an app that causes the iWatch to deliver electric shocks to you and emit an annoying sound until you do your daily workout? You'd probably need to buy the optional iBatteryBelt to deliver enough of a shock, though.

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Gigatel said:

But as a normal, healthy adult, I see this more as a novelty than anything.

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Congratulations! And also a young one, I surmise.

I, too, am a normal, healthy adult. I am also 75, and things get a bit more complicated as you pass the 70 mark for normal, healthy adults.

I look forward to see how this might be useful.

JeffiJers said:

had zero interest.. but this changes things. Would buy

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This just kinda confirms what we've already "known". I'm just as interested today as I was yesterday. Why the change of heart (rate)?

brsboarder said:

And which vital sign is going to help you? Pulse-not really, you'll know if your pulse is a problem if you start having palpitations, chest pain etc. Blood pressure-not really either, its really symptoms that matter not a reading. Also, Bp probably won't be able to be measured using this watch. Hmmm temperature, again fairly useless. This may be good for triathletes, marathon runners etc, but they don't buy millions of devices. It's a fairly small population (I would know, I'm one of them, and I'm also in the medical field)

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Are you a medical doctor?

Sky Blue said:

I can imagine a lot of people not really into health trackers being turned off by iWatch, but it sounds really good to me.

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Same here, if I would like a watch i'll buy one from a branch that will easely beat any electronic watch including one of Apple if they would come up witch just a watch. Showing the time and date is nothing new and will not revolutionize nothing just because Apple might come up with an electronic watch that could, somehow, communicate with an iPhone and would be able to bend and look "futuristic" according to some....

Such a watch would be not intresting for me because it's simply not intresting.

A "watch" that primarely would concentrate on features that matters and where there is no such device being able to do all the things as descibed in the article would be truly an intresting and valuable add-on especially when wrapped together in one device that would be more an add on to a watch then a watch itself.

Besides, any electronic watch that can't last for a week without being charged won't be an intresting device for me. I rather see the ongoing development of smarthphones would concentrate on energy usage then on the designs, without an extra battery case my iPhone 5 is rather useless, for example, I like to make long walks and track those. When I walk for 4 hours and besides tracking it I also like to make some pictures on the road (no video's) with WiFi turned off, no bluetooth on, display on 30% I'm able to do this but only with the use of a battery case.

Meaning, these possible new features on the new iWatch, if true, would be intresting for me and if it all come with a new iPhone device that can truely last a day battery wise and if this would also be the case for the iWatch then I certainly would buy such a device.

1.Sometimes I take too much coffee, and a simple watch can remind me that my heart rate is too high and i better take tee.

2.You feel fuzzy, go to the i watch and check your blood sugare and if you just need a candy to feel better.

3.You feel sick. Just look at your watch and it shows you your body temperature.

4. You are in crowded space and cant hear your phone. You can miss the vibration from your phone in your bag but you wont miss the vibration on your wrist.

5. Instant notification on your wrist. You dont have to take the phone from your pocket.

Some of the things i expect and would made me buy the iwatch on day one. Cant wait to see what the developers can make with the hardware/software apple is planning.