Actually revenues in the "health" industry aren't necessarily solid; there's a huge survivor bias and tons of companies making cures for rare diseases and _not_raking it in. (Note: I have a drug I worked on in clinical trials so I'm not simply pulling these claims out of my backside).
But what can Apple "bring to the table?" Well, to quote the variably-attributed saying, "quantity has a quality all its own." Apple can produce something compatible with an ENORMOUS installed base of active users, and can make a difference. Just getting people to exercise more would be great. By the end of the year they could have 10X the number of users fitbit does. Nobody else can do that.
Note I'm not trying at all to claim they are angels: they are definitely out to make a buck.
And they can make a great product or they could make a lousy one. They've done both. However I think, based on where they are right now, they will try to make something actually useful and beneficial.
These are great points but I would point out that "solid revenues" and "not raking it in" are not necessarily incongruous or exclusionary. What's wrong with steady and consistent revenues? It's not going to turn you into Mark Zuckerberg but it will sustain a business, employ people usefully, and provide a steady financial base to take chances from.
The point is that even for Apple, engaging on healthcare is risky. Yes, margins are available at volume, but it's not their standard modus operandi given the costs of regulation and reimbursement.
But what can Apple "bring to the table?" Well, to quote the variably-attributed saying, "quantity has a quality all its own." Apple can produce something compatible with an ENORMOUS installed base of active users, and can make a difference. Just getting people to exercise more would be great. By the end of the year they could have 10X the number of users fitbit does. Nobody else can do that.
Note I'm not trying at all to claim they are angels: they are definitely out to make a buck. And they can make a great product or they could make a lousy one. They've done both. However I think, based on where they are right now, they will try to make something actually useful and beneficial.