Apple’s Leadership Reorg Hints at Subscription-Driven Fitness Future
Apple is reportedly placing its health and fitness programs under the same exec who oversees services like Apple Music, suggesting the tech giant could be making a bigger push into wellness subscriptions
Apple’s latest leadership reshuffle could signal the company’s next major pivot toward subscription-based health and wellness services.
According to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is redistributing key responsibilities as chief operating officer Jeff Williams, a longtime architect of the Apple Watch and the company’s broader health initiatives, prepares to retire later this year. In the transition, Apple’s Health and Fitness teams will now report to Eddy Cue, head of Apple’s Services division, while Craig Federighi will oversee watchOS and John Ternus will lead Apple Watch hardware engineering, per Gurman.
This marks the first time Apple has placed its health and fitness programs under unified leadership, suggesting that the company may be positioning its wellness initiatives as part of its growing services ecosystem rather than as hardware-focused features. By aligning these teams under Cue, who also oversees Apple Music, TV+, and iCloud, Apple could be signaling that the future of its health offerings will follow a similar recurring-revenue model.
Gurman’s reporting indicates that the restructuring is closely tied to the development of Health+, a rumored subscription platform expected to launch in 2026. The service is said to feature an AI-powered assistant capable of offering personalized recommendations across nutrition, exercise and sleep, effectively serving as a digital wellness coach.
Health+ would leverage data collected from Apple Watch and the Health app to provide individualized guidance, integrating Apple’s hardware and software in a new way.
Health+ was originally expected to debut alongside iOS 26.4 but now appears likely to launch with iOS 27 in late 2026. If those reports hold true, Apple could be using the additional time to refine the platform and further align its health strategy around its growing Services division.
While Apple has not confirmed the existence of Health+, the restructuring suggests that the company may be preparing to expand its wellness ecosystem beyond Fitness+. Since launching in 2020, Fitness+ has evolved into a cornerstone of Apple’s digital wellness offering, providing a range of on-demand classes that sync with Apple Watch. A complementary Health+ platform could represent the next step: a shift to holistic health management powered by AI, as well as a recurring revenue model.
Meanwhile, moving watchOS under Federighi is expected to streamline Apple’s software operations. Federighi now oversees nearly every major Apple operating system, which could result in even tighter integration between devices and more consistent cross-platform functionality.
If realized, Health+ could place Apple in direct competition with emerging wellness platforms that already combine wearable data and AI-driven coaching. Apple’s ability to connect all of these features within a unified, privacy-first ecosystem could make Health+ a powerful differentiator.