14 DAY TRIAL // We reported on a new iOS 8 leak today with a particular focus on Healthbook, a flagship app planned for the new mobile software that will reportedly integrate with a future wearable device called iWatch.
The latest details regarding Healthbook are beginning to paint a very accurate picture regarding Apple’s future plans with the iOS ecosystem. As Mark Gurman revealed earlier today, Healthbook will be able to receive steps, miles walked, and caloric data straight from the iPhone’s M7 motion co-processor. “However,” Gurman notes, “that is where the M7 stops being useful for Healthbook.”
Healthbook includes more functions for reading blood, hydration, and respiratory rate information. This type of data won’t come from any existing iPhone model, but it can already be imported from third-party devices sold on the Apple store, like fitness bands, heart rate monitors, pulse oximeters, blood pressure checkers, and sleep trackers.
But Healthbook will offer even more features, some of which cannot be leveraged by existing accessories. These functions include hydration, respiratory rate, and blood sugar tracking. For this, a specialized device like the rumored iWatch will be needed. This functionality alone indicates that Apple either plans to support some emergent medical gear, or that it has its own to show off relatively soon.