While apps and smart devices are getting more concerned about your health, it seems that Apple‘s plans for iOS 8 will also include fitness and health tracking – if these latest reports turn out to be true.
According to 9to5Mac, iOS 8 software will be able to track your vital signs by using intelligent sensors installed in your iPhone.
iOS 8 – which is codenamed Okemo – will have a key feature that will be able to track your heart rate, check your blood pressure and even your glucose levels. It will also be able to give you vital fitness stats such as the amount of steps you‘ve taken in the day and how many calories you‘ve burned.
While iOS 7 was more focused on a new design, iOS 8 looks set to be less focused on the interface and more focused on what new innovations it can bring to the table. And, just as we have come to expect from Apple, they are on the forefront of emerging trends – such as health apps and devices.
The integration of health and fitness software into iOS 8, also draws our attention to the secretive iWatch project. Most likely, iOS 8 will be integrated with the iWatch, and with the rumours of iOS 8 rolling out later this year, it means that the launch of the iWatch is imminent.
However, the new software is expected to work alongside the new iPhone 6 hardware in addition to the iWatch. While the current iPhone 5S does not have the ability to track your vitals, as iOS 8 proposes to do, it does have some fitness tracking abilities..
The intelligent sensors, which is most likely to be included in the new iPhone 6, will be able to work out all your vital health stats by monitoring the movement of your body. According to the report, the accompanying app that Apple is working one is called Healthbook (well at least for now, we know how much Apple loves their code names)
“˜Healthbook‘ will be able to track your heart rate, check your blood pressure and all the other things rumoured to be coming with iOS 8. The new software will also help users keep track of their meds. You will be able to add information abuot the medicine you take and also be reminded to take your meds. Very handy.
The integration of health and fitness features into Apple‘s new software – and hardware – does not come as a huge surprise, though. Recently, Apple patented tech that keeps track of cardiac activity for smartphones. They have also been busy in their recruitment department, hiring a string of health and fitness experts to join their team.
In the past year, we have seen an increasing trend of combine health and fitness with smart technology. Wearable devices such as Nike‘s FuelBand SE and FitBit Force have become very popular among avid tech users.
By integrating a health and fitness feature straight into their new iOS, Apple is hitting the nail straight on the head – ad we wouldn‘t expect anything less.
Source: 9to5Mac
