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Apple's 'Health' App Gains Ability to Track Steps With M7 Motion Coprocessor in New iOS 8 Beta

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iOS 8 beta 3, which was released to developers earlier today, allows Apple's Health app to access the iPhone's M7 motion coprocessor, letting the app natively track movement like steps taken.

Available in newer devices like the iPhone 5s, the iPad Air, and the Retina iPad mini, the M7 "motion coprocessor" functions alongside the A7 chip in those devices, measuring accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass data for enhanced fitness tracking capabilities.

As noted by 9to5Mac the Health app's "Steps" section now tallies the number of steps a user has taken as measured by the iPhone 5s. Users accessing the Health app today will be able to access a full week's worth of data on their devices.

The M7 has been leveraged by several third-party app developers, such as Nike and Strava, but this is the first time the data has been made available directly via Apple's own Health app and it is also the first real data the Health app is able to display.

appleheathappupdates.jpg
The new Steps and Caffeine options in Health, with image on the left provided by a MacRumors forum user.​
Along with M7 integration, the Health app also has a new "Caffeine" section in the Nutrition portion of the Health Data tab. This appears to track how much caffeine is consumed and will likely integrate with third-party caffeine tracking apps such as UP Coffee from Jawbone, which lets users track the amount of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages that are consumed on a daily basis.

At the current point in time, the Health app is rather limited, but by the time iOS 8 is released, dozens of device manufacturers and app developers will likely have built HealthKit into their apps, allowing the Health app to aggregate data from multiple sources into one easy-to-access spot. Health is also rumored to be heavily tied to Apple's upcoming health-tracking wearable device, the iWatch.

As described by Apple, Health aims to be a one-stop dashboard for health and fitness data, tracking metrics measured by various devices and apps, including heart rate, food consumed, cholesterol, sleep quality, and more. Apple's iOS 8 Health page says "It might just be the beginning of a health revolution."

iOS 8 is currently available only to registered developers and will likely be released to the public in the fall, after several more beta iterations to refine the look and feel of the operating system.

Article Link: Apple's 'Health' App Gains Ability to Track Steps With M7 Motion Coprocessor in New iOS 8 Beta
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/07/07/apple-health-step-tracking/
Can't wait for iPhone 9 with iOS 13. Now it can track/control your taste buds, which will help you avoid fatty/sugar foods! Amazing!
 
I am really excited about all the health stuff coming up in iOS 8 but I am also nervous. I wonder how much battery all this constant motion monitoring is going to take. I use an app called Runtastic almost daily for a 45-minute jog and that alone uses 10%.
 
barefootman said:
When I launch the health app it doesn't display any data. Can't figure out how to enable it. Got iOS 8b3 on my iPhone 5s.
Click to expand...


I'm having the same issue. 5s with beta 3, but no activity showing up. The Nike move app does show data so that app is pulling it from the M7 chip, but not apples own health app.
 
Can someone say why there is data for some and not others? Mine is showing No Data.

EDIT>>> I rebooted the phone and the data showed up.

How dare they use such tiny type. It's like on the back of a pill bottle. Shameful. Really, I'm sick of tiny type on my iPhone. And I have every possible thing to enhance reading enabled. This screen shot is much larger than my phone's actual screen.
 

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I love how MR can't fix up this drivel that appears over and over again "iOS 8 is currently available only to registered developers and will likely be released to the public in the fall, after several more beta iterations to refine the look and feel of the operating system."

What it should say it this "iOS 8 is currently available only to registered developers and will be released to the public in September alongside the iPhone 6, after several more beta iterations to eliminate bugs, finish key features, and make minor tweaks to the look and feel of the operating system."
 
I like the caffeine tracker, but am afraid to see how much I intake from the morning coffee : )
 
GuitarDTO said:
I like the caffeine tracker, but am afraid to see how much I intake from the morning coffee : )
Click to expand...

The amount of caffeine in coffee varies wildly. Starbucks coffee has way more than most. Decaf has a small amount, but Starbucks decaf seems to me to be about 50%.
 
proline said:
I love how MR can't fix up this drivel that appears over and over again "iOS 8 is currently available only to registered developers and will likely be released to the public in the fall, after several more beta iterations to refine the look and feel of the operating system."

What it should say it this "iOS 8 is currently available only to registered developers and will be released to the public in September alongside the iPhone 6, after several more beta iterations to eliminate bugs, finish key features, and make minor tweaks to the look and feel of the operating system."
Click to expand...

MR plays it very safe. A rumor is a rumor. Apple has not confirmed ios 8 coming in September,her nor the iPhone 6. MR isn't going to shoot themselves in the foot by saying rumors are facts, no matter how certain you are or how many leaks there are.
 
UI is often subjective, but that white on fluorescent green is verging on the unreadable. Its the same as they have in Calendar - I literally can't believe they don't seem to have noticed that, or seem to care. (And yes, I know this is beta, but Calendar isn't.)
 
Obvious step forward. They didn't build the Health app just to aggregate others data -- that's simply a byproduct of them being reasonable on the matter. I'm half surprised they didn't cut out all 3rd party devices since there's obviously some fitness oriented iDevice coming.
 
Becoming more impressed as the updates roll out

This Health app will personally revolutionize the health industry. If people develop 3rd party devices to analyze our personal human data, maybe it can save lives and prevent health issues before they are.

Both my parents have heart surgeries. If this watch has any way of helping my parents stay healthier by analyzing information automatically, then bring it on - I will be the first in line.
 
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