Apple’s Fitness & Wellness Innovations Bode Well for 2024
From new health data integrations to its first-ever partnership with a gym chain, Apple is quickly becoming a major fitness and wellness player
It’s been a big year for Apple on the fitness and wellness front, and the tech giant seems poised for even bigger things in 2024.
Earlier this month, Apple released watchOS 10.2, iOS 17.2, and iPadOS 17.2 updates which allow for seamless access and logging of Health data using Siri. Apple Watch, iPhone and iPad users can ask Siri questions like “How does my Move ring look today?” or “What was my blood pressure yesterday?” Users can also ask Siri to log health-related items. For example, users can say, “Log that I took my medications,” or “My period started today.”
The company also recently launched Apple Watch Ultra 2, which has the brightest display yet and a new watch face that shows dynamic information like altitude, depth or seconds along its outermost edges. Apple also released a new iPhone app called Journal. With the app, users can capture and write about everyday moments and special events in their lives using photos, videos, audio recordings and location. Journal’s machine learning provides personalized, private suggestions to inspire journal entries.
Major Fitness Moves
Apple Fitness+, meanwhile, continues to offer more classes (with 12 different types and over 5,000 workouts and meditations) along with its Artist Spotlight series featuring music by Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, and Bad Bunny.
Apple also partnered with Anytime Fitness, its first deal with a gym or health club, demonstrating in-person and digital companies coming together to offer more omnichannel experiences. The tech giant is also reportedly planning robust updates to its AirPods line that could include improved hearing health features and body-temperature tracking. It also unveiled its Vision Pro headset; many anticipate Apple could use its new mixed-reality headset to enhance Fitness+ and the Apple Watch.
Social Features Promote Health & Wellness
With 2024 weeks away, Apple is ready to help users reach their health and wellness goals, from mindfulness to running speed to hiking.
Activity Sharing is a feature that can help users stick to their resolutions by sharing daily accomplishments with family, friends or even trainers. Users can even challenge each other to a seven-day Activity Competition based on Activity Rings. Trends show daily data for active calories, exercise minutes, stand hours, walking distance, stand minutes, cardio fitness, walking pace and running pace.
Time will tell what Apple’s next new health and fitness offerings will be, but there appears to be a lot on the horizon.