iOS 8, which should be shown off this summer and ship later this fall, is codenamed Okemo, and one of the tentpole features could be HealthBook, a new app that will monitor your fitness activity and health information from the iPhone 6 and iWatch as centrally and easily as Passbook currently collects your tickets and cards. Mark Gurman, 9to5Mac:
The software will be capable of monitoring and storing fitness statistics such as steps taken, calories burned, and miles walked. Furthermore, the app will have the ability to manage and track weight loss. [...] The application will be able to track a person’s blood pressure, hydration levels, heart rate, and potentially several other blood-related data points, such as glucose levels, according to our sources.
On the list of things Apple's unique approach to problem solving could benefit most, health sits near the top. Slowly, inexorably, they've been putting all the pieces together. All that remains to be seen is if it's ready for primetime this year. Of course, this would put iOS into direct competition with all the fitness apps in App Store, including Nike's, which counts Tim Cook as a board member. It's possible other apps will be allowed access to the same sensor information, and could potentially offer features outside Apple's focus, but Apple is going to enjoy the first, best level of integration on the devices. And that's a huge advantage, especially for the mainstream Apple targets.
Go read the rest of Gurman's report, then come back and let me know what you think. Big screen aside, is health and fitness the silver bullet you'd need to put the iPhone 6 and iWatch on the top of your most wanted tech list?
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