Another long-awaited Apple show and tell made the rounds yesterday, this time featuring the Apple Watch wristworn device. As reported in many media outlets, the new gadget put a significant focus on fitness and wellness.
“The Apple Watch did not emerge as the advanced-sensing health device some envisioned,” writes MobiHealth’s Jonah Comstock. “The device is set to launch in early 2015 starting at $349. In addition, a number of features of the iPhone 6 could have implications for health care in the future.”
The Apple Watch will track movement through a built-in accelerometer and heart rate through optical sensors in the back of the device. It will extrapolate further data from the GPS and WiFi on the user’s iPhone, which (contrary to certain predictions) will be required to use many of the features of the device.
“Almost every wristworn activity tracker device on the market offers at least a simplistic form of sleep tracking,” writes Comstock, “but because of its advanced general features and more demanding power requirements, the Apple Watch doesn’t track sleep.”
“Apple Watch gives us the ability to motivate people to be more active and healthy,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on-stage. “If you are someone who just wants to be a bit more active or someone who wants to track what you are doing during the day, or perhaps you exercise regularly, or even if you’re a very serious athlete, Apple Watch helps you live a better day.”