Part dev kit and part health app, the HealthKit announced back in June marked Apple’s official foray into the field of health care. But today the company fully revealed its grand plan with two separate health-centric apps—Activity and Workout. These new developments will affect consumers in three key areas:
1. They will boost the wearable fitness trend
Since constant data gathering is crucial to the HealthKit’s success, it makes sense that Apple is releasing the Apple Watch. As the phones get bigger, it’s especially important to have an unobtrusive device assisting the health monitoring.
2. They will usher in a new era of the “quantified self
Apple’s push for self-monitoring will certainly further the current trend towards “quantified self”, in which people use technology to collect data in order to improve their own lives. We’ve seen a number of wearables and apps measure fitness, sleep, and more, but Apple’s ecosystem will undoubtedly make the biggest splash.
3. They will help Apple to become the hub for health data
Apple was reportedly in serious talks with major healthcare providers to convince them to adopt HealthKit, which would in turn make Apple a central “hub of health data”. Judging by Apple’s wording today, it seems like they are still in deep negotiation with the health care industry for further infiltration. Just as the iPod revolutionized the music industry a decade ago, there is little doubt that that Apple is looking to repeat its success in the healthcare field.
