Apple Does Want You to be Healthier: HealthKit Coming to iOS 8

It's long been rumored that Apple was going to get into the mobile health world, even though Samsung has made serious moves to dominate the space. While we thought it was going to be called HealthBook, today Apple unveiled Healthkit at WWDC.

It's long been rumored that Apple was going to get into the mobile health world, even though Samsung has made serious moves to dominate the space. While everyone thought their new product was going to be called Healthbook, today Apple unveiled HealthKit at WWDC. 

HealthKit will collect and analyze health data, like blood pressure and weight. It will be based on the growing group of healthcare apps coming to the iTunes store. Apple SVP Craig Federighi compared all of those separate apps to "silos," explaining that Healthkit will pull that information together in one package.

Apple has partnered with Nike and the Mayo Clinic. Nike is already in the fitness tracking game with Fuel Band, and has had a long partnership with Apple on running apps and devices. "For example, the Nike+ apps using NikeFuel will be able to pull in other key HealthKit metrics such as sleep and nutrition to build a custom user profile and improve athletic performance." As for the role of the Mayo Clinic and other healthcare providers, it will allow them to send and receive data about your health and check ups automatically.

Just as he reassured developers of the safety of HomeKit, Federighi promises that your health information will be private and protected. As for how it will actually work in practice, Apple did not offer any hints. Rumors have circulated of gathering data through an iWatch or smart earphones, but nothing is sure yet.