“Apple currently plans to release a new version of the iPhone operating system this year with health and fitness tracking integration as its headline feature, according to sources briefed on the plans,” Mark Gurman reports for 9to5Mac. “Apple’s work on such an operating system likely indicates that Apple is nearing the introduction of its long-awaited, sensor-laden ‘iWatch,’ which sources say is well into development.”
“Apple plans for iOS 8 to include an application codenamed ‘Healthbook,'” Gurman reports. “The software will be capable of monitoring and storing fitness statistics such as steps taken, calories burned, and miles walked. Furthermore, the app will have the ability to manage and track weight loss. The software will be a pre-installed challenger to offerings such as those from Nike and Fitbit, making it all the more intriguing that Apple CEO Tim Cook still sits on Nike’s Board of Directors.”
“Last month, Apple executives Jeff Williams and Bud Tribble met with F.D.A. officials in the United States regarding health applications, as noted earlier today by the New York Times,” Gurman reports. “However, actual details about what was discussed were not shared.”
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