Apple yesterday refreshed theResearch app for the iPhone and iPadwith support for its noise-cancelling AriPods Pro wireless earbuds in the company’s ongoing hearing study.
According to the changelog accompanying the update, version 1.1.2 brings other changes like battery life improvements with the latest watchOS update and an improved experience for VoiceOver users while participating in Apple’s Hearing study and the hearing test.
Previewed at WWDC 2019 andreleasedfor public consumption in November the same year, the Research software arrived with the following three studies available at launch:
The Research app fits nicely into Apple’s overall health strategy laid out back in 2014 with the launch of the original Apple Watch, followed bythe launch of ResearchKitthe following year which Stanford researchers used to create their landmark 2017Apple Watch Heart Study.
Tutorial:How to use the ECG app on Apple Watch
The basic premise is that a dedicated app and the many sensors built into the iPhone hardware finally allow researchers to conduct medical studies with millions of people, as opposed to the traditional methods that are costly, time consuming and narrow in scope.
Most importantly, research initiatives conducted via the app only share data with the chosen studies, with the user in full control over the type of data shared with each study.
Apple claims that the collected data is never shared with or sold to third parties.
On a related note, Apple justannounceda partnership with Johnson & Johnson on a new Heartline study designed to potentially reduce the risk of stroke with an Apple Watch.
