Google has announced its own rival to Apple’s HealthKit, with Google Fit landing as a centralised hub for all your fitness apps and accessories.
An API which will allow developers to pool data from different fitness apps and activity-tracking gadgets, Google Fit will bring context and uniformity to Android users’ health tracking.
“Today we’re announcing a platform preview of Google Fit, this is an open platform designed to help users,” Ellie Powers, Product Manager of Google Play said speaking during the Google I/O keynote.
“We want to help users keep better track of their fitness goals, so we are providing a single set of APIs to manage fitness data from apps and sensors, on both cross-platform devices and on wearables.”
Offering much the same functionality as the iOS 8-bound HealthKit, Google Fit will let users pool fitness data from multiple apps and accessories to get a broader, more well-rounded view of their overall health.
Detailing the benefits of Google Fit, Powers stated: “Before Google Fit I was trying to track and monitor my bike rides through my bike computer and then my weight training through a specialised app and it was a huge hassle. The information was way too siloed to actually help me.”
She added: “Fit takes away the complexity of handling multiple sources, giving you a unified view of a user’s fitness activity.”
The Fit API will offer users the option to share their fitness data between apps, but only if they give their approval first.
As well as unveiling the new Fit features, Powers confirmed that Google has already signed up a number of leading manufacturers to back the service, including adidas, Nike, Intel, LG, Polar and HTC.
“We are thrilled to announce that Nike is allowing other apps and fitness devices to integrate with NikeFuel through this API,” she said.
“Nike will be publishing NikeFuel to the Fit platform, meaning that your app can use it to give better insights into a user’s fitness.”
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