Apple has finally made its move into the wearables market official with the unveiling of the Apple Watch at an industry event in Cupertino, California on September 9, 2014. As expected, the Apple Watch is built around comprehensive health and fitness tracking features, something the company’s CEO, Tim Cook, has said is “personal” to him.
Some industry observers expressed surprise at just how comprehensive these health and fitness tracking features are. Many had expected that Apple’s first foray into the wearables market would be tempered with a conservative approach, with the Apple Watch limiting itself to features seen in its prime competitors, notably the Nike FuelBand. However, at first glimpse, it appears Apple has gone above and beyond what many expected.
Here’s a rundown of the Apple Watch’s key health and fitness features:
- The wearable includes specially designed LEDs which will measure users’ heart rates in real time. These sensors can be used to track workout intensity, and to generate data for later relay to family doctors.
- Built-in “Fitness” and “Workout” apps will generate comprehensive data to help users monitor their general health.
- “Stand,” “Move” and “Exercise” functions will help users minimize the amount of time they spend sitting, track incidental calorie expenditure through normal daily activities, and compile searchable and sortable data during and after workouts.
The Apple Watch will also support the integration of personal health and medical records into the watch, which will theoretically help users if they are ever in need of emergency medical attention.
Healthcare app developers will have a powerful new platform to explore when the Apple Watch goes on sale in early 2015. It is a powerful device, and early reviews indicate that its capabilities far out-measure those seen in its primary competitors.
If you’re part of a Bluetooth app development company, you should also know that the Apple Watch supports NFC technology, making it possible for users to transmit data and make payments with a simple swipe of their wrists. Should the Apple Watch become as popular as many expect, it will make the development of a whole host of new NFC-powered apps a viable prospect.