Roger Fingas
Philips on Monday launched the Personal Health Program, actually a series of tracking accessories that pair with the company's HealthSuite app for iPhone and Android. [Updated]
The core product, the Health Watch, focuses on continuous heartrate monitoring and unlike many consumer-level products is being marketed as clinically accurate. It can also track steps, calories, sleep, and resting respiration rates, and will automatically detect walking, running, and biking.
While the device is only water-resistant — meaning it can't be worn swimming or in the shower — it does offer up to four days of battery life despite having an always-on display.
The Body Analysis Scale is available in black or white, and measures not just weight but BMI and an estimated body fat percentage.
People looking for more detailed but non-continuous heart tracking can get wrist- and upper-arm-based blood pressure monitors. Both are still relatively straightforward, measuring systolic and diastolic pressure as well as heartrate, with an option for switching between two different user profiles.
Lastly Philips is selling the Ear Thermometer, which aside from smartphone sync is a relatively barebones accessory, its other unique feature being a ring that flashes red when temperature is over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Data from all of the accessories can be viewed through HealthSuite. Philips warns, however, that while the app uses Apple's HealthKit for unit conversions, it doesn't actually feed into iOS's native Health app.
The Health Watch is $249.99, while the Body Analysis Scale is $119.99, and the Ear Thermometer is $59.99. The Wrist and Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitors are $89.99 and $119.99, respectively.
Update: A Philips spokesperson informed AppleInsider that the Body Analysis Scale and Upper Arm monitor are each dropping to $99.99 "very soon," and that the company is "working toward supporting the [sic] HealthKit in a future release."
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8 Comments
I was really interested in the scale and possibly the blood pressure monitor right up to the point that I read "…doesn't actually feed into iOS's native Health app." Why can't everyone play nice?
doesnt feed into Apple's HealthKit? no way then.
when are these companies gonna get it into their heads? im committed to the apple walled garden, not some app provider's...
I have a lot of the Philips Hue lights and love them, but I have to warn you- Philips is a hardware company, not a software one. Their software started out terrible and has made it to mediocre after two years. So if you have concerns about the software of this device, say the lack of HealthKit, don't assume it will be addressed quickly.
proline
said:
I like the scale, but if the software is poor then I'll pass.
The watch is $300 at amazon. A little clunky for my taste with that big bezel, but I do like a round watch. I hope Apple will get on board with one, maybe with v3 Watch.
Too bad about Philip's software.
Now that Apple has their own HomeKit app, I'm looking forward to some HUE lights, but I want >60W equiv. And I want SOMEONE to make a wall switch replacement besides Belkin.
More cheap junk from Philips. Looks more like an act of desperation. They make low quality products and are a very unethical company.https://www.engadget.com/2007/12/01/philips-samsung-named-in-crt-cartel-suit/
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-09-18/samsung-lg-philips-sued-by-illinois-for-price-fixing-1-