Apple, we have our eye on you. We’ve known a storm was brewing in the form of wearables and innovative health-related updates for awhile, but now we have evidence — actual screenshots of the upcoming iOS application “Healthbook,” (codename, this stuff is very top secret, naturally) an app that will bring all of your fitness and health tracking to you in one place: your iPhone.
9to5Mac has the hookup and is sharing insider scoop and screengrabs on the Apple rumors site. Healthbook looks a lot like Passbook, a current iPhone application that keeps things like boarding passes, tickets and gift cards in one place on your phone. Here, instead of filing your Fandango, there are different “cards” for the different things the new app will track. It covers health categories like Heart Rate and Sleep, and fitness with Weight, Nutrition and Activity. Users will be able to customize the Healthbook homescreen to fit their needs.
Here is a closer look at a couple of the tabs that show how Healthbook will display info on Activity (steps, calories, miles) and Weight (lbs, BMI and fat%) over time. You’ll be able to use the Nutrition card as a sort of diet diary where you can note what you’re eating or what you’re skipping. With this app, dieters will be able to keep data on weight, activity and nutrition together.
Fitness may get most of the glory, but the health part of Healthbook might be even more innovative. It stores and tracks blood pressure data, heart rate and pulse, plus monitors bloodwork, oxygen saturation and blood sugar. We know, bloodwork is something you only think about at the doctor, not at home, but these tabs indicate Apple is looking to change how you monitor the info you might only receive at a yearly physical. An advanced app that could help diabetics and others track their glucose levels would be a more specific but serious gamechanger as well. And since approximately 26 million in the US have diabetes, this is not exactly a niche need.
Oo, and something all of our moms will be happy if we have on us at all times — Healthbook’s Emergency Card will note all of your vitals and could be accessible from your lockscreen.
Healthbook will likely source health and fitness data from a few places. The iPhone 5s has a fancy M7 motion co-processor that can directly track things like steps stepped and calories burned, but third party apps, and wearables (c’mon iWatch, let’s do this already) will have to give certain tabs a boost.
Although there have been rumors about this app and corresponding devices tracking stress and pregnancy, it doesn’t appear Apple will be rolling that out in the first release.
When “Healthbook” and whatever related devices eventually debut, they won’t be firsts in this space, but at least in Apple-Land, there is a serious void when it comes to wearables and the intersection of health and (their) tech. Healthbook as a future iOS staple might make fitness and health tracking through the app as ubiquitous as listening to music on iTunes is. It could be “gateway tech” for those interested in this whole health and fitness tracking thing who haven’t yet invested in wearables.
The next Apple keynote is now scheduled for June 10, but 9to5 says not to assume Healthbook and her buddies will definitely be ready to roll out then. Bummer. Either way, we’ll keep you guys updated on anything new and exciting we hear ’til then!
What upcoming Apple reveal are you most excited about: Healthbook, iPhone 6, iWatch?? Sound off below!
(Photos and h/t: 9to5Mac)
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