Apple is working on the upcoming iOS 8, for which the company is focusing on health and fitness tracking integration.
The rumor mill is spinning again, with Apple's next iteration of mobile OS, the iOS 8, as the point of interest. The Cupertino tech giant is rumored to be working on iOS 8 for quite some time now, which also increases the chances of speedy development of the most-talked about "iWatch." In a latest report from 9to5Mac, iOS 8 is most likely linked to the development of iWatch and the tech giant is focusing on integrating health and fitness in the new OS.
Apple reportedly met with a group of top execs from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss mobile medical apps, The New York Times reports. Such meetings hint at the possibility that the tech giant wants to deeply integrate health and fitness apps into the upcoming mobile OS. After all, Apple recently hired several people with medical expertise including Michael O'Reilly, M.D., former Chief Medical Officer at Masimo Corporation, which makes medical monitoring devices.
Apple's interest in health and fitness is not completely new. It introduced its M7 motion co-processor chip in iPhone 5S to track users' physical activity. The chip gave way to other activity monitoring apps like Nike+ Move, Fitbit, and Moves.
As for its role in iOS 8, sources revealed that the tech giant will introduce a new software called "Healthbook," codenamed as "Okemo." The new software is said to draw similarities with Apple's card storage app "Passbook," but will be used to store and monitor health related data such as number of steps taken, weight loss, heart rate and blood pressure.
If iWatch is set to debut alongside iOS 8 then Apple may attract health conscious buyers for its rumored smartwatch. The company has not said anything officially about the existence or the development of the watch or the new OS, but several media reports suggest the iOS 8 will arrive later this year.
