New revelations tell us more about Apple’s plans for connected health. There are said to be heated discussions internally about how to proceed.
Source: Unsplash – Laurenz Heymann
In September 2014, Tim Cook announced with much fanfare the launch of a new product line at Apple: the Apple Watch, his first connected watch. Not only did it dream of being an extension of its iPhone, it also dreamed of being a true connected health product. Almost ten years later, the company still has big ambitions and could launch new products to celebrate the decade of the Apple Watch as early as next year.
Apple’s health plans for 2024: Apple Watch, Vision Pro and AirPods
It is the newspaper Bloomberg that, thanks to sources close to the company, reveals what Apple will be working on with the new features that could arrive in 2024. A future Apple Watch could detect both high blood pressure and sleep apnea: the latter would be planned for the Apple Watches of 2024, a priori the Watch Series 10. This is not the first time we have heard about it: sleep apnea monitoring was already expected for the Watch Series 8. Blood Pressure could also be released in 2024 or 2025.
The Apple Watch Series 9 // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
The AirPods would be equipped with hearing aid functions: they could even replace traditional audio tones. You could also receive specific hearing data. Currently on the AirPods Pro and AirPods Pro 2 we find the “Conversation Amplifier” function that allows you to amplify voices. It is practical, although limited, for people with hearing impairments.
Do sports with the Vision Pro: Avoid the stress in the gym?
Apple also has big ambitions for its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, expected early next year. According to journalists Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett, the company wants to turn it into a “health and fitness device.” With the Vision Pro, “anti-anxiety and improved meditation functions could be integrated into the product, as well as a virtual reality system that is intended to strengthen positive thinking and improve mental health.” »
The sensors could even scan the eyes for cognitive health data. Apple is reportedly considering bringing its Fitness+ subscription to the Vision Pro. Finally, in the future there could be a whole-body tracking system to analyze leg movements during physical activity. This reminds us of another rumor that suggests AirPods could one day monitor their user’s posture.
Interesting features, but raise questions about the comfort of the Vision Pro. To be able to carry out physical activity, the helmet must be comfortable but also fit the skull. However, there seems to be no consolation: Apple is looking for solutions to solve these problems.
Apple Vision Pro // Source: Apple
This would particularly worry people who wear glasses. In addition, the top strap would not be included as standard with the helmet, but would have to be purchased as an option. It’s hard to say whether all of these sports features will also be available on the Vision Pro: at its June presentation, Apple didn’t mention this use at all, reserving this headset for office automation and entertainment. To respond to the lens issue, Apple could set up clinics in its stores: The company is reportedly considering setting up medical clinics in its Apple Stores.
An AI that thinks it’s a health coach
They add that Apple “continues to work on a paid health coach service that uses artificial intelligence.” » The latter could generate recommendations on diet, sleep and exercise based on data collected from its users’ devices. Additionally, Santé could rely on iPhone cameras to track users’ positions during their physical exercises.
Projects abandoned by Apple
Bloomberg also tells us about important projects that Apple has stopped. According to journalists, the company would have liked to integrate nutritional monitoring into the health application, but that’s not all. Connected objects were developed to complement the Apple Watch: a scale and a blood pressure cuff. Devices designed by Jony Ive, the legendary Apple designer who has since left the company.
Jony Ive and Tim Cook during the iPhone XR presentation in 2018 // Source: Apple
Prototypes of wristbands with sensors under the wrist, a sleep tracker that is placed on the bed, and a bedside device with sensors have reportedly been developed. Luckily, all of them were subsequently integrated directly into the Apple Watch. We also learn that the Apple Watch and the Health app could have been compatible with all Android smartphones. The idea was to give more consumers access to the watch’s features, especially in countries where Apple isn’t at the top of the rankings. A project that was eventually abandoned because the Apple Watch was one of the sales drivers of the iPhone.
The Apple Watch Series 9 // Source: Chloé Pertuis – Frandroid
Another big Apple project that started many years ago is the glucose sensor for diabetics. Production still hasn’t stopped, but “it’s unlikely to end up in a product for another few years, according to people familiar with the effort.” »
Why Apple would go further with data analysis
All these innovations are logically to be expected: according to the words of Tim Cook himself, Apple will make its greatest contribution to humanity in this area. The economic stakes are high: Bloomberg reminds that the market for health and fitness trackers could represent a $200 billion market within ten years. To the extent that Apple has hit something of a glass ceiling in smartphones, tackling another one on a larger scale represents an opportunity for economic growth.
The Apple Store 5th Avenue, illustrative // Source: Nathan Le Gohlisse
For now, Apple reserves its opinion on most health data. For example, Health states that “blood oxygen measurements are not intended for medical use.” » However, for Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett, the company would try to go further. Apple wants to get approval from health authorities to interpret health data. The Apple Watch thermometer could then detect fever instead of just monitoring fertility.