HealthKit Includes Native Bluetooth Support for Some Accessories, Eliminating Need for Companion Apps
HealthKit supports some medical Bluetooth accessories natively, allowing accessory makers to skip developing apps for iOS and focus on their hardware, according to 9to5Mac.

The accessories that will be built-in and supported natively by HealthKit include heart rate and blood pressure monitors, glucose sensors, and health thermometers. Apple is using official standard specs for Bluetooth LE devices from http://Bluetooth.org, which is what allows iOS 8 to automatically establish a connection with the devices listed above without the manufacturers worrying about anything on the software side.
HealthKit can automatically detect these Bluetooth medical devices and gather data from them, syncing them to the new Health app without the user having to do anything in a third-party app, making it easy for users to find health information in a single place. Additionally, device makers won't have to spend resources and time making an app rather than focus on their hardware.
HealthKit and the Health app are available to developers in the iOS 8 now. All three will launch in the fall for the general public.
Popular Stories
Apple is set to unveil new iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models on Wednesday, September 9, and the devices are expected to feature a design that's largely similar to the iPhone 17 Pro models, with a peppering of enhancements inside. Major changes are not expected until next year, when Apple is expected to introduce a radically redesigned 20th-anniversary iPhone.
If you're thinking of...
While the iPhone 17 Pro has double the base storage compared to the iPhone 16 Pro, there will apparently be no further increase this year.
Taiwanese research firm TrendForce today again reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models will start with 256GB of storage, like the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Minimum storage capacities by model:iPhone 16 Pro: 128GB
iPhone 17 Pro: 256GB
iPhone 18 Pro...
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," is expected to launch without at least four features that will be present on the iPhone 18 Pro models, despite a price tag of at least $2,000.
The iPhone Air lacks Ultra Wide and Telephoto rear cameras, a SIM card slot, and stereo speakers. With a super thin design, a titanium frame, and a glass back, the iPhone Ultra is expected to ...