Apple Watch Gets Fitness, Sleep, and Healthcare Upgrades

Headlining the company’s annual developer conference, upgrades to Apple’s watchOS 9 span exercise, sleep, and healthcare.

• Run wild. Improving efficiency, runners can track metrics like Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation.
• Shut-eye. With the addition of sleep stages, Apple Watch now detects REM, Core, and Deep Sleep in addition to time asleep.
• Hearty. An FDA-approved feature, users can enable AFib History, gaining insights into heart health and sharing it with their doctor.
• Prescribed. A new app helps manage medication with reminders to take it. It also alerts users of harmful interactions between drugs.

And more… Additional workout enhancements include heart rate zone tracking, custom interval workouts, and sport-specific settings for triathletes. Of note, the company’s Fitness app is now available to all iPhone users, no Watch required.

Punchline: Whether it’s primary care, Fitness+, or prescription wearables, Apple hopes to fulfill CEO Tim Cook’s belief that health will be the tech company’s “greatest contribution to mankind.”