The Wearables War: Doom or Hope for Internet Titans?

To excel in digital health, one must possess expertise in three essential disciplines: healthcare, communications, and modern technology. Additionally, a strong grasp of science, marketing, and technology is required, along with a deep understanding of the unique needs and behaviors of each target audience. Otherwise, the resulting products may fail to meet clinical requirements, be difficult to understand, or even be unusable.

As the “face” of digital health, mobile health will exacerbate the inherent challenges and opportunities of the entire trilogy. Physiological information released by users has driven the digitization of care; however, it remains labor-intensive to express, store, analyze, and transfer data related to surgical procedures and patients’ daily routines.

This also explains why healthcare has progressed more slowly than most vertical sectors, such as media, e-commerce, finance, art, and entertainment. Smartphones, tablets, and now the ubiquitous “phablets” have put digital technology into the pockets of hundreds of millions of consumers, enabling them to browse, shop, chat, and share at their convenience.

But the long wait is finally over! In the summer and autumn of 2014, digital health leaped from a novel tech curiosity to a mainstream essential, permanently etching itself into public memory. Let us now examine how wearable devices have applied digital health as the core of their new brand strategy, forever transforming the entire industry.

The Wearable Device Trilogy
Digital evolution continuously disrupts market dynamics, user behavior, and innovations in cutting-edge technologies. Companies often introduce innovative products to capture greater market share and generate higher profits; however, even the most creative and compelling ideas can frequently fall short if the audience is not yet ready or if the technology is not yet capable of supporting them.

This summer, a superstorm swept through the wearable device market. Technology has finally caught up with the demands of tens of thousands of consumers eager for smart devices. As Spitz discusses, major industry players also recognize the inherent connections among digital health, data collection, and the quantified self. But how exactly should this be implemented? And who will lead the industry?

The winner of the “Wearable Device War” must address four fundamental issues: 1) a lack of standardized data; 2) a lack of interoperability among platforms, devices, and applications; 3) a lack of high quality and user experience; and 4) a lack of effective methods to mitigate ongoing and potential privacy and security concerns.

Criteria for long-term success involve multiple variables, including EHR integration, system standardization, and in-depth exploration of health management. Moreover, developers and investment institutions play indispensable roles: one contributes by developing apps to enhance quality of life, while the other provides funding and marketing support—both are key factors.

Despite the myriad of products flooding the wearable device market, the current landscape is dominated by Samsung, Google, and Apple, all of which have placed medical care and health at the core of their strategies to drive brand differentiation and market leadership. It quickly became apparent that their strategies are strikingly similar—perhaps they share the same leader.

Samsung: Early Adopters and Developers
As the first company to successfully commercialize Android-based large-screen smartphones, Samsung, a South Korean corporation, subsequently outlined its core focus on digital health. Its three-pronged strategic approach aims to simplify and unify the experience for consumers, developers, and marketers, encompassing:

1. An Integrated Data Platform
Where does the medical data generated by millions of users, tens of thousands of apps, and a vast array of electronic devices go? How is it processed, and how do users make sense of it? Samsung’s cloud data broker, the Samsung Multimodal Architecture for Interaction (SAMI), is a secure, open, and diversified platform that collects real-time data from all connected smart devices used by individuals, normalizes this critical data, and makes it available to other application developers.

Advantages: Integrate all user data, then "normalize" it, followed by analysis, sharing, and resetting of the data.

Risks: Questions remain regarding what level of access Samsung has to these data, how they will process them, concerns about patient privacy and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance, as well as the overall security of the system.

2. An Open-Source Development System
Countless health and medical applications can track physical activity, monitor heart rate, and calculate caloric intake. Faced with diverse user groups, how can developers ensure that these applications deliver continuous, accurate, and effective tracking and measurement? Samsung has launched SIMBAND, a new modular wearable health device reference platform, aiming to integrate this product with SAMI (Samsung Multimodal Activity Infrastructure) to optimize and standardize user experience and data management.

Advantages: Each Simband-based application demonstrates strong interoperability and compatibility with Samsung’s wearable devices and the SAMI backend data platform.

Risk: Can the system be scaled and remain flexible enough to meet the needs of all users? Will developers face constraints?

3. High-Profile Collaborations and Investments
Having recognized the importance of entrepreneurial incubation and research, Samsung established a $100 million catalytic fund to drive innovation in cloud computing and mobile technologies. Meanwhile, it partnered with the University of California to establish the “Digital Health Innovation Lab” in San Francisco. This initiative, markedly different from patent infringement cases and conventional smartphone assembly lines, raises the question: Is Samsung poised to become the Jedi Knight of digital health and the quantified self?

Advantages: Driving innovation from the grassroots level, encouraging authoritative digital health strategies and content creation.

Risk: Can such a consulting approach truly drive cutting-edge research and product development, or is it mostly fabrication and hype?

In summary, Samsung’s strategy primarily revolves around its data platform, development systems, and partnerships. However, these initiatives would be futile if there were no demand for its products. The Samsung smartwatch series—Neo, Fit, and Live—are available in Wild Orange, Burgundy, and Mocha Gray, respectively. The stylish designs of these three models have received favorable reviews, resulting in stronger sales performance compared to previously released series. Among them, the Gear Fit stands out as a robust health and wellness wearable device, featuring a built-in pedometer, heart rate and sleep monitoring, and integration with the “S Health” smartphone app. Most reviews have been positive, although SAMI (Samsung Architecture for Multimodal Interactions) and the Simband backend currently hold greater potential.

Google: Google Fit, Another Attempt
The shutdown of Google Health services was merely a slowdown on the path to quantified self. With the rapid rise of the Android operating system, Google made another attempt in healthcare by leveraging third-party applications and platforms to extract data from millions of users using biometric technologies.

At the 2014 I/O Developer Conference, Google launched Google Fit, a health management platform similar to Apple’s HealthKit, designed as a development platform for health-tracking applications. The platform aims to empower users to create their own personalized health views through its software development kit (SDK). Google Fit provides application and device manufacturers with a suite of APIs to store or access activity data collected from fitness apps, Android devices, or sensors in other compatible devices. This means that, with user consent, applications can access users’ fitness histories, enabling features such as personalized guidance, deeper insights, and tailored fitness recommendations.

Furthermore, Google has formed partnerships with companies such as Adidas, Nike, and Runkeeper, along with many other players in the health tracking sector. Through these collaborations and every Android-powered wearable device, Google aims to standardize and establish its own healthcare experience.

Google Fit’s strategy encompasses a robust developer ecosystem, collaborative validation, and a cloud-based data platform. Google’s foray into healthcare suggests that the search giant is more focused on health and fitness than on increasingly sensitive medical data, drawing all attention toward Apple.

Apple: HealthKit Makes a Major Debut
On September 9, 2014, Apple held its fall product launch event, unveiling the iPhone 6, the Apple Watch smartwatch, and the Apple Pay mobile payment service. The company’s stock, which had been rising steadily, plummeted sharply after the event. Despite these initial security concerns, Apple’s wearable device has remained widely popular among consumers.

Overall, Apple’s strategic foundation rests first on its platform, then on its development ecosystem, and finally on partnerships—largely similar to Samsung’s and Google’s approaches. However, this time Apple is executing its own “Apple Style.” Leveraging robust cloud-based infrastructure, the iTunes distribution engine, best-selling products, and seamlessly integrated devices running iOS 8—a mobile operating system that places greater emphasis on user health—I personally believe that Apple holds a significant advantage.

In recent years, Apple has taken a serious approach to partnerships and investments in digital health. The success of mobile health depends on whether healthcare systems are familiar with and effectively utilize these technologies. Therefore, Apple has formed alliances with the Mayo Clinic and Epic Systems to integrate electronic health records while also curating authoritative medical content, thereby laying the foundation for mobile health prescriptions—an essential component of this ecosystem.

The company has recruited experts from multiple vertical sectors, including healthcare, wellness, and even fashion. While authoritative health content remains the core focus, the fashionable design of wearables is equally critical to consumer adoption of electronic devices. Google Glass made its debut at the 2012 Google I/O conference, attracting significant attention and garnering excessive industry hype. However, more than two years have passed, and Google has yet to release a formal version of Google Glass. A sober assessment reveals that Google Glass is not as powerful as initially perceived and continues to face numerous challenges, standing in stark contrast to Apple. Although Apple encountered minor glitches initially, HealthKit has successfully popularized the concept of the Quantified Self. Furthermore, through collaborations with academic institutions, HealthKit has progressed smoothly on its own trajectory, encompassing app development and the integration of electronic health records.

Although the number of apps that can connect to HealthKit is continuously increasing, Apple changed its stance prior to its September 9, 2014 launch event, prohibiting developers from selling personal health data to advertisers.

The Future Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry
Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies and medical device marketers are watching the impending storm of mobile health and wearable devices. As regulatory frameworks gradually evolve, this storm is bound to break. The field is becoming increasingly crowded and complex, with more and more enterprises preparing to embark on their own “healthcare journey.” It is reported that Amazon is also gearing up to enter the healthcare sector, leaving brand teams both excited and apprehensive: “So what should we do now?”

“Wait and see” is the quickest answer. How exactly are patients’ medical data stored? Who will have access to these data? How will data sharing be conducted? What usage rights do pharmaceutical companies hold over such data? Many unknown variables remain regarding these issues. Nascent speculative activities are widespread, but it is still too early for any definitive actions.

“Familiarize yourself with this ecosystem” is the short-term answer. As we have seen, wearable systems are designed to address four key challenges in mobile health. Therefore, explore their platforms, software development kits (SDKs), and strategic partnerships, and engage with experts to discuss how pharmaceutical companies can effectively participate at each touchpoint.

“Stay optimistic!” has long been the most satisfying response. Pharmaceutical applications are already highly diverse, and by integrating with dedicated platforms such as SAMI/Simband, Google Fit, and HealthKit, pharmaceutical companies are poised to create meaningful experiences and wield the transformative power that both patients and physicians have long dreamed of.

Yes, the quantified self has finally become not only possible but inevitable and unavoidable. This is largely thanks to the reform-driven war of wearable devices that erupted in 2014. The future of digital health will be oriented toward patient benefits, yet the risk of succumbing to its darker side remains equally evident.

Summary
Ultimately, the wearable revolution—encompassing smartwatches and other contactable devices—has brought biometric technology into mainstream consumer electronics. Major tech companies such as Samsung, Google, and Apple have recognized the consumer potential of the “Quantified Self” movement, making health a top priority. These three industry giants are addressing the challenges in mobile healthcare through similar approaches: establishing data platforms, providing software developer toolkits, and fostering digital health partnerships.

Furthermore, pharmaceutical and medical device companies can leverage the robust new experiences offered by digital health to serve professional medical teams, patients, caregivers, and other stakeholders. Understanding how their systems operate and forging new partnerships with authoritative technical experts and content creators are essential steps forward.

Most importantly, remember our ultimate goal: to improve patient health and enhance the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals worldwide.