- The Apple Fitness+ service is apparently “under review” by Apple
- The firm might merge the subscription with the Apple Health app
- Apple’s standalone AI health coach has also reportedly been ditched
If you’re a fan of the Apple Fitness+ workout subscription service, we may have some bad news: the entire product is “under review,” according to one source, with its future largely undecided for the time being. Several options could be under consideration, with major changes potentially on the way – but nothing is yet certain.
The report comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, whose latest Power On newsletter asserts that “there’s no telling what will end up happening” with Apple Fitness+. That gives the impression that a wide range of options could befall the app, and Gurman doesn’t offer any solid information over what is most likely.
However, the reporter wrote that “If I were to guess, Apple will ultimately meld its Health app with Fitness+ in some fashion – perhaps offering it as a combined subscription.” This is apparently motivated by “tougher” competition in this space, including from OpenAI’s new ChatGPT health service.
That could mean big changes to the way you use Fitness+. Currently, it’s located within the Fitness app and stands apart from Apple Health (although fitness and workout data can be viewed in the Health app). If Gurman’s claim is correct, Apple might shift from maintaining separate apps and instead bring them under one roof.
Simplified or bloated?
This might not be the only major change coming to Apple’s health and fitness efforts. Alongside potentially merging Fitness+ and Health, Apple has allegedly decided to ditch its long-term plan to introduce a health coach powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that would examine your fitness metrics and offer up tailored advice and suggestions.
Instead, Gurman believes that Apple will take the planned features of the AI health coach and combine them “into the Health app over time.” Gurman added that “The capabilities, including one that can analyze a user’s gait with an iPhone camera, are scheduled to begin appearing later this year.”
Both changes – the merging of Fitness+ and Health, and the decision to ditch a separate AI health advisor and add its features to the Health app – could be seen as a way of simplifying Apple’s fitness apps. Instead of offering multiple services that run across several different apps, Apple looks to be bringing them all under the aegis of the Health app. That could make them a lot easier to use and understand.
At the same time, it risks making Apple Health bloated and unwieldy. The app already manages everything from workouts and cycle tracking to mental wellbeing and sleep data, and adding more could inflate it well beyond its existing proportions.
And there’s an additional unanswered question: how much will all this cost? If Apple wants to blend Fitness+ and an AI wellness coach into the Health app, that could result in a pricey subscription package. And with everything in one place, you’d risk forking out for features you don’t need rather than just paying for the service you want.
Still, with even the well-connected Gurman uncertain of the direction Apple will take, there’s still plenty of wiggle room for the company to change course or refine its decisions. Ultimately, we’ll find out what Apple’s plans are later this year, if Gurman’s timetable is to be believed.
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