The iPhone maker is pushing to make its 2.2 billion active devices into little wearable doctors.
What happened: Apple is launching a new research study that will use the health data of iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPod users to identify opportunities to expand its personal healthcare features. The study will look at areas across both physical and mental health.
- The tech giant’s first research project had a staggering 400,000 participants — far more than the hundreds or thousands that clinical trials usually get.
- With the broad scope of this study, a Harvard professor on the study’s team says that Apple has a unique opportunity to find new issues that its tech could help address.
Why it matters: Apple uses its research to build products and features that can improve health outcomes. The Apple Hearing Study led to an AirPod hearing aid function, while its heart health study helped the company add a heart-monitoring feature to the Apple Watch.
- Apple has also been working on a no-prick glucose tracker for the past decade — a breakthrough that would be groundbreaking for people living with diabetes.
Big picture: The personal healthcare space looks to be a big part of Apple’s future. CEO Tim Cook told WIRED that when it's all said and done, Apple’s biggest contribution to the world will be in healthcare.—LA