The popularity of the newly released iPhone 4S, which Apple says sold four million units over its first weekend on sale, could have a big influence on the popuarity of mobile health services because of the device's Bluetooth 4.0 connection, the most recent version of the short-range wireless technology. Among the qualities associated with the latest version of Bluetooth are low power usage, low cost and enhanced range. In fact, the iPhone 4S is the first mobile handset on the market to offer Bluetooth 4.0. The device could be used together  with embedded sensors, for instance to access sports devices that measure performance or health monitoring equipment. The new iPhone could be used alongside such devices. And its involvement will likely persuade more developers to create health-based apps.

Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) says the number of smartphones offering the technology will accelerate during 2011 until by the end of next year “virtually every new smartphone” will include Bluetooth 4.0. For its part, IMS Research earlier this month projected shipments of more than 370 million dual-mode Bluetooth-enabled mobile handsets by the end of 2012.