I tried the new Apple Health app, and it’s everything I wanted from Google Health

Brady Snyder / Android Authority

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I’ve been straddling the line between Google Health and Apple Health since I bought my first wearable. I went with the Fitbit Charge HR for a few weeks before returning it for an Apple Watch Sport in 2015, and went on to wear an Apple Watch for a decade. A lot has changed, with Google acquiring Fitbit and overhauling the platform since then, culminating in the recent Google Health rebrand.

I initially fell for the hype, bought a Fitbit Air, and completely switched to Google Health. Now, Apple is planning an AI overhaul of its own Health app for later this year — and it’s about to win me back.

I played around with the new Apple Health app in the developer beta of iOS 27.2, and I’m convinced it’s what Google Health should’ve been in the first place. I also have a hunch as to why the Apple and Google health apps feel so different, and the core problem won’t be easy to solve.

Which health platform do you think is most promising? 11 votes Apple Health 45 % Google Health 36 % Samsung Health 0 % Garmin 18 % WHOOP 0 % Oura 0 %

Apple’s Health Sensing System puts raw data first

Brady Snyder / Android Authority

The redesigned Apple Health app requires new hardware, and that’s arguably the worst thing about it. If you have an iPhone capable of running Apple Intelligence — that’s the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or newer — you can enjoy the new Apple Health app when it drops publicly later this year. Those with older iPhones will unfortunately be stuck with the existing Apple Health app, and won’t be able to upgrade. This is much more restricted than the new Google Health app, which works with devices running at least Android 11 or iOS 16.4.

I installed the iOS 27.2 developer beta on my iPhone Air and put on my Apple Watch Ultra 3 to try out the new app, and a few things worked right off the bat. The Apple Health app now opens to an Insights tab that finally includes your Activity Ring data front and center. Before, you’d have to juggle between the Fitness and Health apps to see all your Apple Watch metrics. Another highlight is the Longevity tab, which estimates your health age using your Apple Watch’s underlying fitness data.

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