Mobile Health
There is growing competition between Samsung Electronics and Apple to dominate the mobile health care market.
Samsung is actively seeking to increase its share of the mobile healthcare market to which Apple is paying attention by unveiling a new version of its S Health app, capable of measuring heart rate and oxygen saturation.
According to Samsung Tomorrow on May 21, Samsung revealed an upgraded version of its S Health app through the Galaxy S6, which makes it possible to manage the user's health in more diverse ways.
Jointly created by U.S. health insurance service company Cigna, the fitness app provides a customized health management system to users. First, it figures out their preferred health management type through simple questions and sets a goal. There are diet, exercise, sleeping, stress, and weight control programs, and related videos are available.
Previously, Cigna showcased Coach by Cigna in the S Health app of the Galaxy S5, and it announced a new version this time, in line with the introduction of the Galaxy S6.
The new version can measure both heart rate and oxygen saturation, which was impossible in the past. An oxygen saturation-measuring device used to be classified as a medical device. The new feature enables users to measure their oxygen saturation in the blood by reading the blood. It is necessary to expose their skin to sunlight using a pre-installed sensor.
Apple also installed a health app on the iPhone 6, entering the mobile health care market using the HealthKit platform. In fact, the firm has tried hard to dominate the market from last year. HealthKit is a platform that collects and shares the medical information of users, and plays the role of remotely sending collected information to medical staff and hospitals through the app. Currently, it is the most active mobile health care business.
In addition, it is possible to manage health-related information through the Activity app and the Workout app built into the Apple Watch.
Recently, Apple announced ResearchKit, an open source framework that helps researchers develop their own apps. ResearchKit makes it possible to develop apps by collecting data on patient health using GPS and built-in sensors. It indicates that Apple is making infrastructure to study and manage diseases by collecting and utilizing health-related information.