In 2011, Apple set up a subsidiary called Avolonte Health in Palo Alto, California, with the goal of revolutionizing diabetes care. Led by Steve Jobs, the company aimed to develop a noninvasive blood sugar monitor that would eliminate the need for diabetics to prick themselves to monitor their blood glucose levels. However, despite years of effort and investment, Apple’s health initiatives have been hindered by philosophical disagreements, a conservative culture, and technological challenges.
Apple’s flagship health product, the Apple Watch, was initially intended to feature the Avolonte glucose monitor as a centerpiece. However, the company has faced setbacks in bringing this technology to market. While the Apple Watch now includes health features such as a heart rate monitor and a fitness app, the original vision of incorporating medical monitoring capabilities has not been fully realized.
According to insiders, Apple has scrapped or slowed work on numerous promising health projects. The company’s efforts to integrate health monitoring and disease prevention into its devices have been met with challenges unique to the healthcare industry. Health care deals with life and death, which is a far cry from consumer electronics and telecommunications, industries in which Apple has excelled.
Despite these challenges, Apple has made significant strides in health tracking and has helped bring health monitoring into the mainstream. The latest Apple Watch includes features such as a thermometer for fertility planning, a blood oxygen level sensor, and algorithms for sleep tracking. Apple has also turned the iPhone into a fitness tracker and has enabled it to access hospital records. The company has received praise for its products’ ability to save lives by alerting users to heart conditions and automatically calling emergency services in case of falls or accidents.
Apple has plans for further expansion in the health market, including hypertension and sleep apnea detection for the Apple Watch and hearing aid capabilities for AirPods. There are also ongoing efforts to develop a paid health coaching service using artificial intelligence. Apple sees health as a significant opportunity to help people and aims to reduce the need for single-function medical devices and unnecessary doctor visits.
However, some critics argue that Apple is only scratching the surface of the potential impact it could have on healthcare. By focusing on prevention rather than cure, Apple is avoiding the regulatory and ethical challenges associated with treating diseases. While Apple’s technologies are impressive, some argue that the company needs to be more willing to confront the messy realities of healthcare.
In its early years, Apple hired experts in healthcare, sleep science, and medical devices to work on its health initiatives. The Avolonte subsidiary operated in secrecy, with only senior Apple executives aware of its existence. The project made significant progress in developing a noninvasive glucose monitoring technology based on short-wave infrared absorption spectroscopy. However, Apple faced challenges in making the technology market-ready, including the need to accommodate different skin tones and blood types.
When Apple introduced the Apple Watch in 2014, it became apparent that the glucose sensor and other health capabilities were not ready for inclusion. The company faced issues with sourcing components, reliability, battery life, and limited space within the small device. As a result, Apple had to prioritize certain features and delay the implementation of others.
Despite these setbacks, Apple remains committed to its health initiatives and sees them as a significant market opportunity. While the company may be hesitant to fully engage with the complexities of healthcare, it continues to innovate and expand its offerings in the health and fitness space. With a roadmap that includes advancements in blood pressure monitoring, sleep tracking, and disease prediction, Apple aims to make a lasting impact on the health industry.
