Supply chain sources are claiming Apple has a new piece of health tracking hardware in the works that will more accurately collect information like heart rate, pulse, blood sugar changes and lots of other personal measurements, the Taiwan-based Economic Daily News reports. The vague report doesn’t give any specifics about what the device will be or how it will be used, but Macotakara referred to it as a “new smart home terminal.”
So far Apple’s foray into health monitoring has focused mostly on the Apple Watch, but sources said the new hardware has been in development for more than two years, with suppliers allegedly being approached now as Apple finalizes the product and moves on to plans for production in time for a 2017 release.
The early focus seems to be on manufacturers who currently provide the company’s 3D Touch components, hinting at that particular technology playing a key role in the new device. It’s unclear if this hardware will have any relation to the rumored Siri speaker, or if this will be another device entirely.
(The Siri device has also been rumored to be an Apple TV.) If this new device is a wearable, we wonder why such functionality wouldn’t be worked into Apple Watch, but there are a lot of questions surrounding this vague report.
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