The “iWatch” – Apple’s much-rumored entry into the wearable device marketplace – has been depicted in the past as a standalone device that operates as a smartwatch, while monitoring everything from the users’ blood pressure, to their level of hydration, to their glucose levels.
… but a new report from Brian Dolan of MobiHealthNews (via NetworkWorld) suggests that the iWatch’s actual functionality may be somewhat more simple, with Apple aiming to make the health-tracking experience more accessible to everyone.
Dolan’s report brings together known information about the iWatch, while adding a few bits of info gathered from his own sources, which he describes as having “limited but direct knowledge of Apple’s plans for the iWatch and Healthbook.”
Dolan’s sources indicate the iWatch may not be as much of a standalone product as has been theorized, instead, it may be poised as a peripheral device, dependent on a connection to an iPhone for full functionality.
While hires that Apple made in the past year indicate the device could potentially track a number of health factors, actual functionality may be restricted to more basic health-tracking functions.
A source tells us that the team Apple has assembled is intended to ensure that the health sensing capabilities of the device are efficacious. Some fitness tracking devices available today primarily give users feedback in the form of an arbitrary points system — like Nike Fuel. Apple will likely not do this, but instead focus on real metrics like calories. Having a team with such advanced pedigrees will help ensure Apple’s device is accurate. Don’t expect glucose sensing though.
The report does confirm the “Healthbook” app that was reported on earlier, but couldn’t verify the name of the app. The app will reportedly serve as a repository for a user’s health and fitness information, and will focus on such concepts as exercise, diet, sleep, stress, and medication.
