It is becoming abundantly clear that Apple’s primary use-case for the Apple Watch is centred on health, fitness and well-being. If we look back at the first Apple Watch, it was little more than an extension of the iPhone. But, since then, it has continued to add features that endeavour to make it the best ‘Jack (or Jill) of all trades’ for health and well-being.
In the beginning
The first Apple Watch was not a great device except for one thing – it proved that Apple could make a smartwatch that was built to an exceptionally high quality at a price its customers could afford. At the time, some master watchmakers suggested that Apple’s build quality exceeded that of watches that cost as much as 20 times the price.
But that watch lacked features we take for granted today. Things like water resistance and GPS weren’t included and battery life was pretty poor. It had a weak processor which meant that any operation that required serious grunt was executed on an iPhone with the Apple Watch serving as a kind of ‘dumb terminal’.
It wasn’t until subsequent generations were released that we started to really see Apple’s game for the Apple Watch.
It’s all about sensors
With each successive generation of hardware and software, Apple has made its wearable more useful. Features such as better heart rate monitoring, a single lead electrocardiogram (ECG) for detecting possible atrial fibrillation, a temperature sensor to assist with fertility monitoring and detecting signs of illness and others.
And there’s now strong evidence that Apple is readying a blood glucose monitor that will not require a pin prick to get a reading. This will be a huge boon to those living with diabetes.
Bit by bit, Apple is creating the sort of device that we only see in science fiction – a wearable device that will not only tell us when we have a health problem but will monitor a range of metrics and tell us that a potential issue is looming before it becomes acute.
As Apple adds more sensors – there’s even talk of a blood pressure tool that won’t require the old fashioned cuff we’ve been using with sphygmomanometers for decades. And we know this is possible as some Samsung smartwatches can already do this.
What are the hurdles?
The biggest hurdle facing Apple is not technical. Apple has the money, skill and motivation to create an Apple Watch that could monitor almost every major metric that can indicate our health status. The biggest hurdle will come from regulators.
It took a couple of years before Apple could make its ECG available to Australians. And many countries are still waiting for that feature to be released pending regulatory approval.
In short, Apple is moving faster than the healthcare industry.
There is also likely to be resistance by some members of the healthcare industry. There has been huge investment by many companies over decades in all sorts of devices that we see whenever we walk into a doctor’s room. Instead, doctors may need to develop new tools that enable them to use the vast quantity of data being collected every second of everyday.
That means machine learning and AI will start to find their way int the doctor’s bag. We’re already seeing AI that can read x-rays faster than experts. And in many cases the AI is doing a better job than trained healthcare professionals.
The future of health is personal
Apple has been sponsoring a number of health care studies around the world. In a recent press release, the company quotes a number of healthcare professionals. And while this is an Apple press release that is unlikely to say anything negative, there is one comment I want focus on.
“General health recommendations or off-the-shelf interventions weren’t good enough for me. People are unique. Each individual is different when it concerns their health, and I wanted to learn more.”
Dr. So-Min Cheong, associate professor in the Public Service & Administration Department at the Bush School, Texas A&M University via Apple press release
The availability of data collected directly from individuals means healthcare will become increasingly personalised. For example, rather that being prescribed a medication for a condition, it will become possible for medications to be specifically designed for us based on our genetics as well the specifics of the condition or illness being treated.
While this might sound far-fetched, it is becoming a reality. Pharmacogenetics is an emerging field. It “describes the science that explores how genetic differences can lead to differences in the way certain medicines interact with the human body” according to Australia’s NHMRC.
The Apple Watch is becoming the world’s most ubiquitous health care device. With hundreds of millions of wearers, it is collected vast amounts of data that can be used to detect escalating issues before they become serious. It’s a fair bet that many Apple Watch owners don’t realise they are part of a health and well-being revolution.
Anthony is the founder of Australian Apple News. He is a long-time Apple user and former editor of Australian Macworld. He has contributed to many technology magazines and newspapers as well as appearing regularly on radio and occasionally on TV.