Google to Take on Apple in Health and Fitness Tracking with 'Google Fit'

android_wear_fitnessJust weeks after Apple announced its Health app for iOS 8 and corresponding HealthKit platform for allowing developers and accessory manufacturers to tie into the system, Google will apparently be making a similar announcement at its Google I/O conference. According to Forbes, Google's new "Google Fit" service will perform a similar function to HealthKit, aggregating data from fitness trackers and apps in one place on the user's device.

Google Fit will aggregate data through open APIs, instruction sets that allow apps to share information, and will also announce partnerships with wearable device makers at its I/O conference, Forbes understands. One source with knowledge of Google’s plans said Google Fit would allow a wearable device that measures data like steps or heart rate to interface with Google’s cloud-based services, and become part of the Google Fit ecosystem.

Forbes says it is unclear whether Google Fit will be integrated into Android by default or if it will be handled through a standalone app.

Earlier this year, Google announced its Android Wear project to bring Android to wearable devices such as smart watches, with a focus on health monitoring. As a result, Forbes speculates Google Fit could serve as a hub for integrating data from a variety of Android Wear devices, as well as other products tying into the platform.

Apple's Health feature received only a few minutes of stage time at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference last week, although the company does have a feature page up on its site previewing the system. While Health will be able to tie into a variety of devices and apps as developers build in support, Apple's iWatch is expected to be a major focus for the platform. Rumored for launch later this year around the time iOS 8 is released to the public, the iWatch will reportedly feature a number of biometric sensors to help monitor health and fitness. As a result, we can expect to hear much more about Apple's Health initiative when the iWatch is ready to go.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...

Top Rated Comments

Chupa Chupa Avatar
141 months ago
I'm curious to see what the EULA says about privacy and data collection. ;)
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the8thark Avatar
141 months ago
Samsung: Whatever Apple can do, we can do first.

Google: Whatever Apple can do, we can do worse.

A shame neither copy the quality aspect Apple thrive on.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LordVic Avatar
141 months ago
so many purely asanine comments in this thread about google copying.

you do realize that Apple are copying too right? health based Apps, hardware and platforms have been available by competing platforms for years.

Apple AND google are late to the game.

but of course, only google is the copycat.

The more competition in the Market the better. More features, More products. More choice. Everyone is welcome.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JaySoul Avatar
141 months ago
"Your current heartrate is 151. Do you need a will-writer? Click for directions."
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
141 months ago
Look, my astonished and surprised face -> :rolleyes:
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gadgetguy03 Avatar
141 months ago
I'm curious to see what the EULA says about privacy and data collection. ;)

"Your blood pressure is slightly elevated. You should talk to your doctor about Zaroxlyn. Click here for more information."
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)