Dive Brief:
- Apple has banned developers from selling health data collected in its HealthKit to any advertisers, data brokers or organizations that resell information. Users' information may only be collected for health and fitness services.
- As Google plans to enter the market with its Google Fit, the ban could be a signal from Apple that it may be less likely to use personal data for advertising than its competitor.
- Apple is also planning to release its wearable device, iWatch, slated to be released early next year. The price point for the device is expected to be around $400, making it one of the most expensive on the market.
Dive Insight:
The burgeoning mobile health market is wide open for new development. Parks Associates has projected that, by 2018, an estimated 66 million fitness-tracking devices will be sold. And aside from individual usage, employers are working mobile health products into their wellness programs.
It appears that large organizations like Apple may be able to use their name recognition and mass to expand market share. Apple has been in talks with the likes of UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Mount Sinai Hospital, Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic and is already working with EHR giant Epic and the Mayo Clinic.
Want to read more? You may enjoy this story about why Apple, Epic and IBM are unlikely to dominate mHealth anytime soon.