Recent reports from CNBC revealed that Apple and Aetna have been holding secret meetings regarding the upcoming Apple Watch. According to the source, the meetings took place on Thursday and Friday of last week in Southern California. The meeting was joined by top executives from both companies. Among them is Apple's project lead for special health projects Myoung Cha, who happens to be the chief of medical information officers in the US as well.
Working with Aetna
Health Insurance Company Aetna has had previous working relations with the tech giant.
They have already teamed up as part of Aetna's company-wide initiative to bring the Apple Watch to its 50,000 employees. Last September, the company also announced that it would be offering the smartwatch to select large employers.
This time, the Apple Watch is looking at Aetna's 23 million customers as its new users. Aside from offering the device to a wider audience, the healthcare provider also wants to add large amounts of new health data to be sourced. This move would give the insurance company access to the activities of its customers. The project could roll out as early as next year.
Apple advantage
Consequently, the deal would also play its benefits to Apple. It would mean a heavy promotion for the Apple Watch in the health and fitness category.
Considering it came close to snagging the top spot for the top wearable vendor this year, Apple has all the more reason to invest in the wellness industry.
In addition to their secret meetings with Aetna, the Silicon Valley giant has also been discreetly hiring biomedical engineers. Reports from CNBC also revealed that this secret team is working on a holy grail for treating diabetes. This would include sensors for tracking blood sugar levels, which works to the data-gathering advantage of any health insurer.
Whether or not customers would give their consent to release personal data is another story. For now, at the very least, people have some idea about their future endeavors.
The next Apple Watch
For some time now, there has been a lot of speculation about the next Apple Watch. The presumed "Series 3" version of the smartwatch is said to be unveiled in September.
The launch will be side by side with a new iPhone hardware. The device will come with an LTE chip that would enable users to wear it separately from an iPhone. With Apple's reputation for secrecy, it is likely that people will not know much about the next Apple Watch installment until its release.
