Google to Take on Apple in Health and Fitness Tracking with 'Google Fit'

[MacRumors]

Just weeks after Apple announced its Health app for iOS 8 and corresponding HealthKit platform for allowing developers and accessory manufacturers to tie into the system, Google will apparently be making a similar announcement at its Google I/O conference. According to Forbes, Google's new "Google Fit" service will perform a similar function to HealthKit, aggregating data from fitness trackers and apps in one place on the user's device.

Google Fit will aggregate data through open APIs, instruction sets that allow apps to share information, and will also announce partnerships with wearable device makers at its I/O conference, Forbes understands. One source with knowledge of Google's plans said Google Fit would allow a wearable device that measures data like steps or heart rate to interface with Google's cloud-based services, and become part of the Google Fit ecosystem.

Forbes says it is unclear whether Google Fit will be integrated into Android by default or if it will be handled through a standalone app.

Earlier this year, Google announced its Android Wear project to bring Android to wearable devices such as smart watches, with a focus on health monitoring. As a result, Forbes speculates Google Fit could serve as a hub for integrating data from a variety of Android Wear devices, as well as other products tying into the platform.

Apple's Health feature received only a few minutes of stage time at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference last week, although the company does have a feature page up on its site previewing the system. While Health will be able to tie into a variety of devices and apps as developers build in support, Apple's iWatch is expected to be a major focus for the platform. Rumored for launch later this year around the time iOS 8 is released to the public, the iWatch will reportedly feature a number of biometric sensors to help monitor health and fitness. As a result, we can expect to hear much more about Apple's Health initiative when the iWatch is ready to go.

Article Link: Google to Take on Apple in Health and Fitness Tracking with 'Google Fit'

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Shameless Copycats!
Google is The New Xerox

A copy is never better than its original

 

[MrGimper]

Look, my astonished and surprised face ->

 

[Wiesenlooser]

This Google Watch stuff looks so poorly designed... As if they don't even care. Just put a nice picture in the background and ontop of that a white box

 

[the8thark]

Samsung: Whatever Apple can do, we can do first.

Google: Whatever Apple can do, we can do worse.

A shame neither copy the quality aspect Apple thrive on.

 

[m2nal]

of course they are.........

 

[JaySoul]

"Your current heartrate is 151. Do you need a will-writer? Click for directions."

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm curious to see what the EULA says about privacy and data collection.

 

[pankajdoharey]

What is with Google

Why is it a after thought for google every time ? Can't they come up with something original ? Freaking Copycats!!!

I really hate google for this (copying) i would stop using google search if i had a choice. Though i do like them as an Engineering company, but there marketing is just screwed up .. they are always the followers at what Apple makes. There marketing team should understand that Engineering is not just about a "me-too" product, it is about revolutionising the tech space.

Half of there (googles/Samsung) products are Apples Rumour Products, as if they always wanna make junk products just to say "Yup we were the first". Come on Samsung/Google grow-up.

 

[M-O]

health insurance providers will love this!

 

[Blakjack]

"Your current heartrate is 151. Do you need a will-writer? Click for directions."

that message would scare the **** out of me

 

[MrGimper]

It's shameless. I look at Samsung products and it's shocking what they get away with. Their initial chrome book was a blatant ripoff of the Macbook Air. Even their vacuums are blatant ripoffs of Dyson.

If Jony Ive was balls-deep in Megan Fox, he'd have Samsung's chief designer tapping him on the shoulder to go next.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Google will apparently be making a similar announcement at its Google I/O conference.

Most companies besides Apple just don't seem to get this: Nobody wants to hear your announcements at your press conference if you already announced it beforehand.

Further, they don't seem to get that your company looks flakey and incompetent if you continually announce things months-years before you ship (or cancel) them.

IE, Google Glass. Google announced it, and I have thus far seen exactly one. And it's the butt of most jokes at any party it shows up at. Google's self driving car: that's great, are you going to sell it ever? They've been promising it for years now and have shown it off repeatedly, but the fact they don't sell suggests it has major flaws. I suspect some other company, such as Tesla, will end up beating Google to this punch of actually having a self driving car on the market.

 

[gadgetguy03]

I'm curious to see what the EULA says about privacy and data collection.

"Your blood pressure is slightly elevated. You should talk to your doctor about Zaroxlyn. Click here for more information."

 

[AdonisSMU]

Everytime Apple says its working on something or is rumored to be working on something here comes Google. I have a love hate relationship with Google.

----------

"your blood pressure is slightly elevated. You should talk to your doctor about zaroxlyn. Click here for more information."

love this!!!!

 

[Bare]

The battle is on. In this case, I really will use whichever service does it better. This is assuming that Google's kit will be available for iOS

 

[LordVic]

so many purely asanine comments in this thread about google copying.

you do realize that Apple are copying too right? health based Apps, hardware and platforms have been available by competing platforms for years.

Apple AND google are late to the game.

but of course, only google is the copycat.

The more competition in the Market the better. More features, More products. More choice. Everyone is welcome.

 

[Will do good]

Sure I'll trust Google with my health data, how fast would Google partners with your insurance to sell you out. Look you are getting fat, look your heart rate id off. Time to jack your insurance rate.

No thanks Google.

 

[Rogifan]

And I'm sure they'll have their version of HomeKit too. These, along with wearables are the "in" things in tech right now.

 

[0815]

I am honestly surprised by this announcement ...



... seriously: I was expecting that Samsung would announce this first (well second after Apple, but before google)

 

[bopppp]

so many purely asanine comments in this thread about google copying.

you do realize that Apple are copying too right? health based Apps, hardware and platforms have been available by competing platforms for years.

Apple AND google are late to the game.

but of course, only google is the copycat.

The more competition in the Market the better. More features, More products. More choice. Everyone is welcome.

With you!

Furthermore, pretty amazing of Google that they can present a whole API and partnerships, just 20 days after they copy it of Apple..

Also. Google didn't SAY that they are going to release this, that's just a rumour. That's like saying that Apple lied because they told that the iWatch would be presented last week.

 

[JGIGS]

Well if we are calling Google copy cats I seem to remember Samsungs health app came out long before apples. Not to mention apple's only exists in beta form.

Fanboyism at it's best.

Shameless Copycats!
Google is The New Xerox

A copy is never better than its original

 

[ChrisCW11]

Who copies who?

Shameless Copycats!
Google is The New Xerox

A copy is never better than its original

By rights Google tried to create a social heath infrastructure a few years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Health

This was about 1 year after the iPhone debut.

The problem here is that Google was trying to create a system where people would volunteer their health records in an effort to create a network that can be used by doctor's and medical practitioners to track your health, but it also had the feature to hook into products like the Withings wireless weight scale and BP monitor data.

BTW Withings has had a health tracking app for over 5 years connected to all their products.

http://vitrine.withings.com/us/

So who is copying who? Google is dusting off an old idea while Apple is finally jumping on board to something that is 5 - 6 years behind what other companies have already been doing.

This is Apple's modus operandi pretty much from the start. Wait and see what everyone else is doing and then create their own version of it backed by huge marketing push to make people think it is new and revolutionary.

The problem is that this works every time because Apple customers are like goldfish, they only remember technology up to their last iOS upgrade.

 

[apolloa]

Just a quick word to all those shouting copies cats, how's that notification centre coming on for you?

 

[bobenhaus]

[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]

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Just weeks after Apple announced its Health app for iOS 8 and corresponding HealthKit platform for allowing developers and accessory manufacturers to tie into the system, Google will apparently be making a similar announcement at its Google I/O conference. According to Forbes, Google's new "Google Fit" service will perform a similar function to HealthKit, aggregating data from fitness trackers and apps in one place on the user's device.Forbes says it is unclear whether Google Fit will be integrated into Android by default or if it will be handled through a standalone app.

Earlier this year, Google announced its Android Wear project to bring Android to wearable devices such as smart watches, with a focus on health monitoring. As a result, Forbes speculates Google Fit could serve as a hub for integrating data from a variety of Android Wear devices, as well as other products tying into the platform.

Apple's Health feature received only a few minutes of stage time at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference last week, although the company does have a feature page up on its site previewing the system. While Health will be able to tie into a variety of devices and apps as developers build in support, Apple's iWatch is expected to be a major focus for the platform. Rumored for launch later this year around the time iOS 8 is released to the public, the iWatch will reportedly feature a number of biometric sensors to help monitor health and fitness. As a result, we can expect to hear much more about Apple's Health initiative when the iWatch is ready to go.

Article Link: Google to Take on Apple in Health and Fitness Tracking with 'Google Fit'

People need to think about posting . Google has been working on health kit stuff probably just as long as Apple has been.