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I hate to admit it, but I live in an Apple bubble.
I keep track of tech news, sure, but my main devices are my iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad and Mac — you know, the usual stuff!
So I was really shocked to learn that the Google Health app on my iPhone is truly excellent. In fact, I much prefer it to Apple’s offering.
I had no idea! I only discovered it because I recently bought a Fitbit Air (refurb, natch), a screenless health tracker that’s made by Google.
I was interested in Insulin Resistance Trends, a metabolic tracking feature coming next month. (Cult of Mac managing editor Lewis did an excellent job explaining it here).
I had very low expectations for the band, especially on the software side. I thought it’d be excessively complicated like most of Google’s wretched software (Workspace, Analytics, Ad Manager … you name it).
But I discovered that there’s a ton of things about the Fitbit hardware and Google’s Health app that I really like, including the week-long battery life, continuous monitoring, and the intelligence to do stuff like logging workouts without having to explicitly launch them, as you must on Apple Watch.
The best thing is the app, which presents a great overview of what’s going on with your body. Open it up, and it gives a great overview of recent workout activity, your daily steps, sleep (or lack thereof), and your readiness for your next workout.
It’s much better laid out than Apple’s offering, and has tons of thoughtful touches, like putting the Fitbit’s battery right at the top so it’s easy to keep an eye on.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of the software, which offers, among other things, AI-powered coaching.
The good news is that Apple appears to be attuned to offerings from competitors like Google and Whoop, and will shortly start to offer features like continuous heart rate tracking in Apple Watch. Let’s hope an overhaul of the complicated and confusing Health app is next.
Also in today’s newsletter:
It’s Tim Cook’s last day at work. Tomorrow, on September 1, John Ternus takes over as CEO. I hope Tim enjoys his well-earned retirement, although he’s not riding off into the sunset yet. He’ll be sticking around for tricky assignments like dealing with the Trump administration. Meantime, Ternus is already shaking a few things up.
Talking of the Trump administration.
Ah, this is why it was so hard to get a high-end Mac. Another reason to hate the big AI companies.
🔥 DEAL OF THE DAY: Save 33% on Anker’s excellent portable Bluetooth speaker, which is pretty energetic despite its small size. #affiliate.
The folding iPhone might look like the perfect device to use with Apple Pencil, but it’s being nixed for the most what-the-heck reasons imaginable. This doesn’t sound good, tbh.
This looks great for CarPlay: Weather Channel’s Storm Radar app.
The iPad mini has its fans — I’m not one of them — and the upcoming refresh looks good for iPads in general.
— Leander Kahney, EIC.
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One more thing ...
[The Beatles] were four very talented guys who kept each other’s negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other, and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. And that’s how I see business. Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.
Today’s poll
What health or fitness wearable do you use?
Results from last Friday’s poll
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