Apple's attempt to integrate health monitoring and disease prevention into its top-selling products is how the tech giant aims to strategically position itself in the healthcare industry, Bloomberg reported Nov. 1.
Apple has made health and fitness central to its marketing strategy for the Apple Watch. The most recent model offers features like a built-in thermometer for tracking body temperature in fertility planning, a blood oxygen level sensor, sleep monitoring algorithms and the capability to perform electrocardiograms.
The tech giant also transformed the iPhone into a fitness monitoring device and enabled it to access medical records from hospitals — bringing health tracking into the mainstream.
In recent years, Apple has struck deals with Aetna and UnitedHealthcare, and said it plans to transform its upcoming Vision Pro headset into a health and fitness-oriented device.
In Apple's envisioned future, individuals would rely less on specialized medical devices, such as blood pressure monitors and thermometers, reducing the need for frequent blood tests and physician appointments, according to the publication.
Even the tech giant's CEO, Tim Cook, has articulated that enhancing health represents the most significant contribution his company can make to humanity.
This future, according to Bloomberg, holds significant potential for Apple's profitability as the health and fitness tracking market is experiencing rapid expansion, with forecasts suggesting it could evolve into a nearly $200 billion-per-annum industry within the next decade.