Health tracking via mobile devices is set to continue its seemingly inexorable march towards the mainstream thanks to another new data service.

Google Fit is set to launch by the end of this month, according a report by Forbes that came less than two weeks after Apple unveiled its forthcoming Health app and HealthKit developer tools.

Google's own health data service would compete directly with Apple by collecting and aggregating information from a variety of third-party fitness trackers and apps.

It's not yet clear whether Google Fit will be part of the next version of Google's Android operating system or a standalone app, and there is speculation that it will piggyback Google's cloud-based services to build a Google Fit ecosystem.

Google has repeatedly looked to develop new healthcare innovations. The company closed its Google Health online patient record system in January 2012 but this year has seen a number of notable developments.

The health possibilities of its Google Glass smart glasses are attracting increasing interest, it has smart contact lens in development for diabetes and then there it its 'moon shot' Calico, whose mission is to tackle the challenge of ageing and associated diseases.

However, its current health platform plans have taken some time to mature. Google has faced privacy complications, problems with the sensitivity of health data and dilemmas about how to provide a useful service without doing so in a way that requires FDA oversight, according to Forbes.

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