If you’re in the business of making wearable health sensors, then I hope you’re already knocking on the Apple R&D door, because that’s where you may make your fortune, if your solution works.
Expect more sensors in future
Apple is intent on fielding fresh capabilities in future generations of the device in order to make the Apple Watch the “Doctor on your wrist." That’s the obvious conclusion from the Wall Street Journal’s Apple Watch report – whatever features the first generation product doesn’t offer it will gain in future iterations.
This means we know future models will boast a growing number of health-related sensors. Even now, it will help you maintain better health by addressing some key risks. “Sitting is the new cancer,” Apple CEO Tim Cook has said.
You see, while developing the product, Apple considered different sensor technologies to provide stress, heart rate and blood pressure monitors, but rejected those that didn’t perform consistently or required regulatory approval.
At it’s simplest, you need approval if you offer a feature to help people deal with or solve specific problems, but you don’t if you offer features to help people understand that problem better. Adding to the complexity, such approval may be required in each country.
Also read: An Apple Watch user guide
Huge medical accessory market growth
These regulatory hurdles are a big opportunity for mHealth developers, who will be able to make good businesses out of creating HealthKit-compatible devices to perform specific functions that require such approval, making these available country by country over time.
What that means is that you can predict a series of rapid debuts of complex personal health solutions compatible with HealthKit, iPhone and Apple Watch. Medical markets seem receptive; look at the success the company is having with HealthKit in hospitals, and note Nike’s decision to add HealthKit support to FuelBand.
"When I think about connectivity and using applications and remote monitoring technology, I see two big baskets,” HSHS Medical Group’s Andrew Bland told MobiHealthNews. “First is the consumer side, which is what the Apple Watch exists in.... The second is intensive medical monitoring.”
Also read: 12 Apple Watch details we now think we know
It is likely Apple may acquire added technologies from some competitors, while paying close attention to new sensor developments from such firms as CliniCloud, Force Therapeutics, or MindWave.