iOS 8'S upcoming Hlthbook app and the ‘iWatch’

In January, we exclusively detailed a major upcoming initiative: Hlthbook. Hlthbook is the working name of an app currently planned to ship with iOS 8. It is an app that stores and rds hlth and fitness data from wrable devices (such as the sensor-laden “iWatch” is developing).
Since our initial report, some more speculation and mockups have emerged online about the app. Above are a pair of mockups posted to Behance rlier today. The mockups follow some of the details presented in our original article:
The “Hlthbook” appliion is said to take multiple user interface cues from ’s own Passbook app, which is software for storing loyalty cards, coupons, and other materials normally stored in physical wallets.
The new hlth and fitness appliion’s interface is a stack of cards that can be sily swiped between. ch card represents a different fitness or hlth data point. The prototype logo for “Hlthbook” is similar to Passbook’s icon, but it is adorned with graphics representing vital signs.
According to sources, the mockups are “vaguely” the right id. Of course, is likely testing multiple different user-interfaces for this software, and since we are several months out from an official introduction, things can and likely will change (even drastically)…
Besides the above mockup, a new report from MobiHlthNews tried to pour some cold water on and add additional speculation to our Hlthbook report. The report offers some interesting details, but it also shares some likely inaccurate information. Taking their report point-by-point:
*.“There are more than 200 people working on this project:” Given the amount of work needed to produce medical-related hardware and software, this is likely true. rly last yr, reports pegged the iWatch tm at about 100 peoplein size. We’ve previously profiledabout 15 of the big name hires.
*.“iWatch is a peripheral device, not a primary one:” Likely. As our rlier report said: “sources with knowledge of the iWatch’s development say that the future product is designed to be hvily reliant on the iPhone.”
*.“Technological capabilities will be simpler than rumors have indied:” Perhaps. Our knowledge is reliant upon what is programming the Hlthbook app to be capable of and based on the company’s recent hires. Our sources today have reiterated that Hlthbook is planned to be able to rd glucose-related data, something thatMobiHlthNews‘s report denies.
*.“Meeting the FDA was about remaining unregulated:” This could make some sense. When develops products, they want the launches to be as smless as possible. Having to stamp on FDA-regulated symbol on the device’s packaging might go against ’s ethos.
*.“The Hlthbook concept is right on but may not be the rl name:” Their report is basically agreeing with our post from January, but they say that our “Hlthbook” name is incorrect. We’re sticking by Hlthbook being the name, but there’s no rson for the name not to change between now and the unveiling.
*.“Skeptical of claims about hydration tracking:” Sources today reiterated that hydration data tracking is planned to be a part of Hlthbook. As with the aforementioned topic of glucose data, this fture may not make the cut for the final relse due to FDA restrictions.
*.“Hlthbook to focus on exercise, diet, sleep, stress, mediion adherence — maybe women’s hlth:” Our original report said that the app would track exercise, diet, and mediion adherence. However, sources have indied that the women’s hlth/pregnancy and stress tracking functionality reported byMobiHlthNewsis not currently in the cards for Hlthbook. Perhaps that will change by launch or in later versions. As for sleep, we recently reported that has been hiring sleep data experts.