Google to Take on Apple in Health and Fitness Tracking with 'Google Fit'
Just weeks after Apple announced its Health app for iOS 8 and corresponding HealthKit platform for allowing developers and accessory manufacturers to tie into the system, Google will apparently be making a similar announcement at its Google I/O conference. According to Forbes, Google's new "Google Fit" service will perform a similar function to HealthKit, aggregating data from fitness trackers and apps in one place on the user's device.
Google Fit will aggregate data through open APIs, instruction sets that allow apps to share information, and will also announce partnerships with wearable device makers at its I/O conference, Forbes understands. One source with knowledge of Google’s plans said Google Fit would allow a wearable device that measures data like steps or heart rate to interface with Google’s cloud-based services, and become part of the Google Fit ecosystem.
Forbes says it is unclear whether Google Fit will be integrated into Android by default or if it will be handled through a standalone app.
Earlier this year, Google announced its Android Wear project to bring Android to wearable devices such as smart watches, with a focus on health monitoring. As a result, Forbes speculates Google Fit could serve as a hub for integrating data from a variety of Android Wear devices, as well as other products tying into the platform.
Apple's Health feature received only a few minutes of stage time at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference last week, although the company does have a feature page up on its site previewing the system. While Health will be able to tie into a variety of devices and apps as developers build in support, Apple's iWatch is expected to be a major focus for the platform. Rumored for launch later this year around the time iOS 8 is released to the public, the iWatch will reportedly feature a number of biometric sensors to help monitor health and fitness. As a result, we can expect to hear much more about Apple's Health initiative when the iWatch is ready to go.
Popular Stories
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Top Rated Comments
Google: Whatever Apple can do, we can do worse.
A shame neither copy the quality aspect Apple thrive on.
you do realize that Apple are copying too right? health based Apps, hardware and platforms have been available by competing platforms for years.
Apple AND google are late to the game.
but of course, only google is the copycat.
The more competition in the Market the better. More features, More products. More choice. Everyone is welcome.
"Your blood pressure is slightly elevated. You should talk to your doctor about Zaroxlyn. Click here for more information."