Apple Accelerates Development of Health Coaching Service..."Encouraging Exercise and Improving Eating Habits"

Apple is accelerating the development of features that collect data based on hardware such as the iPhone and Apple Watch to provide comprehensive coaching on users' physical and mental health. A health coaching service that manages not only exercise habits but also dietary habits is expected to be introduced as early as next year.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

◆ Will Apple Coach Exercise and Dietary Habits?

According to Bloomberg and other sources on the 25th (local time), Apple is preparing a service that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to coach users' health under the codename 'Quartz.' This service uses AI and data from the Apple Watch to create personalized coaching programs that encourage exercise, improve dietary habits, and promote sound sleep.

Bloomberg reported that the plan includes expanding the health application (app) to the iPad so that users with low vision can also use it.

Previously, in 2020, Apple partnered with the Singapore government to launch a health coaching service called 'LumiHealth.' This service paid cash to users who maintained a certain level of health. The service Apple is currently preparing is expected to require users to pay a monthly subscription fee.

Bloomberg stated, "Currently, this project is being led by several Apple teams, including the health division, the Siri and AI teams, and the services division," adding, "The launch is planned for next year, but this plan could be canceled or delayed."

Apple has been strengthening its health division business centered around the Apple Watch, which was launched in 2015. When the Apple Watch was first released, the apps were ordinary, the interface was confusing, the processor was slow, and the purpose of use was unclear. However, after addressing these issues and enhancing the health division, it is now considered to have established itself in eight years.

Carolina Milanesi, a consumer technology analyst at research firm Creative Strategies, previously told Bloomberg, "Apple initially described the watch as a miniature iPhone, but after consumers understood what they could do with the watch, the focus shifted to fitness accessories."

◆ Recording Daily Life with Apple? ... "Interest in Mental Health"

Apple's health division technology development appears to have expanded beyond physical health to mental health. Recently, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that it obtained internal documents showing that Apple is developing an iPhone-exclusive journaling app.

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The project, codenamed 'Jurassic,' is expected to be unveiled as early as the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. WSJ also explained that it could run on the new iPhone operating system iOS 17, which will be released in the fall.

The app records users' daily lives and thoughts. Users directly record entries and allow access to phone and text message information to collect daily life data. Based on this, the app analyzes daily patterns such as the average time users spend at home. It also distinguishes the closeness with people frequently met, such as friends and coworkers.

The app records what a user's typical day is like, where they go, and who they interact with, analyzing how it differs from usual. WSJ evaluated that while Apple has measured physical health through the Apple Watch, this app shows that Apple is also interested in mental health as well as physical health.

◆ Will Apple Watch Enable Blood Sugar Measurement Without Blood Draw?

Apple's interest in the health business has continued for more than a decade. Currently, Apple is focusing on developing a blood glucose monitor that can measure blood sugar without drawing blood. In February, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Apple has been secretly pursuing a project codenamed 'E5' since the time of founder Steve Jobs. Apple began developing a blood glucose monitor without blood draws after acquiring the startup RareLight in 2010.

The blood glucose monitor Apple is developing reportedly operates by using its own designed silicon photonics (optical semiconductor) and a spectroscopic absorption meter to shine a laser on the interstitial fluid in the capillaries under the skin, measuring blood sugar with a sensor. Bloomberg explained that after more than ten years of experiments involving hundreds of people, the technology has now reached the proof-of-concept stage.

Apple is developing a prototype the size of an iPhone that can be worn on the biceps for practical use, and related departments have already begun discussions regarding government approval. Bloomberg assessed that if a blood glucose monitoring system is added to the Apple Watch, millions of diabetic patients worldwide are expected to utilize it.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.