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Health app is underwhelming to say the least

MacrumoursUser

MacrumoursUser

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 1, 2014
445
102
Denmark
It can't tell if you are cycling or running. Even though apps that use M7 do. What's more important it can't even calculate calories burnt from that. Even approximate number would be nice.

Maybe I don't know something about it.
 
I didn't think it monitored activities, rather collated data from apps that do?
 
MacrumoursUser said:
It can't tell if you are cycling or running. Even though apps that use M7 do. What's more important it can't even calculate calories burnt from that. Even approximate number would be nice.

Maybe I don't know something about it.
Click to expand...

Those apps are designed to do calculations to estimate that information. The Health App is just a data repository to hold actual collected information. Once iOS 8 health apps begin to update, they can put that information into the Health App.
 
budselectjr said:
Can't really comment on the health app as apps haven't been updated to feed data to it yet.
Click to expand...

But why do you need a 3rd party app like moves to feed data to it if it's derived from same m7 info? Wtf. iPhone has one battery not 5. Can't it calculate calories same way and determine that I'm cackling from my speed of movement? Wtf. This is basics.

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Stuke00 said:
Those apps are designed to do calculations to estimate that information. The Health App is just a data repository to hold actual collected information. Once iOS 8 health apps begin to update, they can put that information into the Health App.
Click to expand...

Again this goes against logic. It can do basic stuff without 3rd party's.
 
MacrumoursUser said:
But why do you need a 3rd party app like moves to feed data to it if it's derived from same m7 info? Wtf. iPhone has one battery not 5. Can't it calculate calories same way and determine that I'm cackling from my speed of movement? Wtf. This is basics.

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Again this goes against logic. It can do basic stuff without 3rd party's.
Click to expand...

What can the M7 do that isn't showing up in the Health app? I thought it just did steps. I don't think it can count calories burned for you. That is what the 3rd party app does.

I don't see anything in the Health app that should have data from the M7 but doesn't.

The idea is to have 1 location for viewing all your information that could come from other apps or from your doctor.
 
MacrumoursUser said:
But why do you need a 3rd party app like moves to feed data to it if it's derived from same m7 info? Wtf. iPhone has one battery not 5. Can't it calculate calories same way and determine that I'm cackling from my speed of movement? Wtf. This is basics.

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Again this goes against logic. It can do basic stuff without 3rd party's.
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Then no one would buy an Apple Watch. :p
 
Stuke00 said:
What can the M7 do that isn't showing up in the Health app? I thought it just did steps. I don't think it can count calories burned for you. That is what the 3rd party app does.

I don't see anything in the Health app that should have data from the M7 but doesn't.

The idea is to have 1 location for viewing all your information that could come from other apps or from your doctor.
Click to expand...

I think you are being thick on purpose. M7 gives the info and the big question is why do I need 3rd party app for basic info like calories burnt based on my activity when Healt app can show it to me. Or why do I need another app when it can determine using same GPS that I'm cycling not walking or running.

If 3rd party developers can think of something on top of that then I agree, but info like this should be already there. There is nothing magical about how it's calculated.

I would be already getting some idea about my activities without some app with background refresh draining battery in less than 12 hours if I'm lucky.

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afsnyder said:
Then no one would buy an Apple Watch. :p
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My thoughts exactly.
 
MacrumoursUser said:
I think you are being thick on purpose. M7 gives the info and the big question is why do I need 3rd party app for basic info like calories burnt based on my activity when Healt app can show it to me. Or why do I need another app when it can determine using same GPS that I'm cycling not walking or running.

If 3rd party developers can think of something on top of that then I agree, but info like this should be already there. There is nothing magical about how it's calculated.

I would be already getting some idea about my activities without some app with background refresh draining battery in less than 12 hours if I'm lucky.

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My thoughts exactly.
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It isn't about 1 third party apps, it is about ALL of them. People like their third party apps. Now you have 1 place on your device to store all that information. There are a lot of possibilities that can be done with it.
 
Are you using an iPhone 6 with the M8? No.
Are you using an app that's been updated to the iOS 8 SDK? No.
 
Not calculating calories is understandable since there are probably many way to approach that.

I just thought it was really lazy that it won't even calculate BMI when you enter your height and weight...
 
greenl1ght said:
Not calculating calories is understandable since there are probably many way to approach that.

I just thought it was really lazy that it won't even calculate BMI when you enter your height and weight...
Click to expand...

Yeah also true.

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Stuke00 said:
It isn't about 1 third party apps, it is about ALL of them. People like their third party apps. Now you have 1 place on your device to store all that information. There are a lot of possibilities that can be done with it.
Click to expand...

I understand that and it's great, but for bigger things like heart rate, blood pressure and sleep analysis, but the info derived from M7 and GPS should not require another battery draining app. Why do I need to install battery draining moves app for simple steps and distance info?
 
MacrumoursUser said:
If 3rd party developers can think of something on top of that then I agree, but info like this should be already there. There is nothing magical about how it's calculated.
Click to expand...

Maybe not magical, but it still needs to be calculated, which means that somebody has to write code for it. Apple chose not to spend resources writing code for this stuff into the Health app. Should they have? Or would that be a reduplication of effort, as third party apps already do this?
 
Also, what about the iPhones without the M7? Only the 5s, 6, and 6 Plus have the chip, and 2 of those 3 models aren't (officially) on the market yet. So what would the 4s, 5, and 5c users do?
 
shotts56 said:
Correct, it just makes it look like a half-arsed job that has been done quickly and on the cheap.
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The point of it is to be a central repository for information, not a calculator or tracking application. Apple is not trying to get into the healthcare information business, they are still in the hardware and software business. I think the actual information sources are best left to 3rd parties.
 
Health kit is a framework, not a complete package out of the gate. Give it some time. Third party apps need to be updated to link with it and add more functionality.
 
Think you're missing the point of the health app. It's to see health data from various sources in a single place. The idea is that you can install any fitness app which supports it and it will be able to feed data into it. If the health app simply did calculations itself then it would be restricted to whatever Apple saw fit to add to it.

The current way is far better!
 
dsjr2006 said:
The point of it is to be a central repository for information, not a calculator or tracking application. Apple is not trying to get into the healthcare information business, they are still in the hardware and software business. I think the actual information sources are best left to 3rd parties.
Click to expand...

Again BMI a simple calculation and is not a healthcare business. Every fitness site has a calculator for it. Since I input my weight and height it just looks stupid that I need to calculate it myself or install another app which will ask for my weight and height to calculate it.
 
because 3rd party apps cost money and apple gets a cut from every sale. They want you to buy 3rd party apps
 
Is it just me, or does it seem that one's daily step count is insanely high? Apparently, I walked almost 20,000 steps yesterday, and while I do have a very, very active job, it still seems inflated. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid, having never owned a device with pedometer capabilities...
 
matttye said:
Think you're missing the point of the health app. It's to see health data from various sources in a single place. The idea is that you can install any fitness app which supports it and it will be able to feed data into it. If the health app simply did calculations itself then it would be restricted to whatever Apple saw fit to add to it.

The current way is far better!
Click to expand...

It seems they do show your distance (with a map), steps, stairs, and stuff based on the screenshots unless that was a Nike+ example.
 
saxon48 said:
Is it just me, or does it seem that one's daily step count is insanely high? Apparently, I walked almost 20,000 steps yesterday, and while I do have a very, very active job, it still seems inflated. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid, having never owned a device with pedometer capabilities...
Click to expand...

64 steps to walk to and from my kitchen back to my desk just now. I counted that by hand. You just don't realize it you're doing it. 2,000 is about a mile. So if you're on your feet all day, 20,000 is easily doable because it equals to a little more than 4 hours.
 
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