Apple’s newest updates to its headphones and Apple Watch push health monitoring into extra moments of a consumer’s day
Apple’s September showcase had health on the forefront.
New sensors in AirPods, security and endurance options on Apple Watch, particularly Extremely 3, and AI-powered teaching in watchOS sign a method to satisfy athletes in additional moments, aligning with the company’s broader funding within the health and wellness trade.
AirPods Professional 3 up to date its earbuds, which now home a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart-rate sensor that tracks energy burned and integrates instantly with the Health app. Paired with a new “Workout Buddy” mode, the function turns audio right into a coaching companion whereas sustaining noise cancellation and lengthy battery life. Together with IP57 sweat and water resistance, Apple has repositioned its earbuds as a exercise instrument, citing them as the preferred headphones for figuring out available on the market.
Apple Watch Extremely 3 was additionally launched, which integrates Apple’s AI teaching layer, Exercise Buddy, and provides a Sleep Rating readout for restoration insights.
In the meantime, the brand new Apple Watch Sequence 11 broadens entry to superior well being instruments. Apple is introducing notifications for indicators of continual hypertension, an algorithm that analyzes optical-sensor knowledge over prolonged durations, in addition to a Sleep Rating that distills period and consistency right into a single metric. The updates mirror a rising emphasis on restoration and cardiometabolic well being in mainstream wearables.
General, Apple’s watch software program, watchOS 26, underpins the {hardware} with a heavier emphasis on teaching. Exercise Buddy makes use of on-device intelligence to supply real-time cues and encouragement primarily based on reside and historic knowledge. Athletes can even construct customized exercises instantly from the iPhone’s Health app, including flexibility for structured coaching. A refreshed interface makes it simpler to entry key options mid-session with out breaking circulation.
Apple Fitness+ additionally continues to evolve because the content material layer, with expanded programming in power, yoga and newer categories like pickleball. Its integration with Strava makes sharing exercises simpler and strengthens the platform’s neighborhood hyperlinks. In the meantime, Strava’s personal Apple Watch app has grown in functionality, with options like Reside Segments exhibiting how properly Apple’s units can function an anchor for third-party coaching experiences.
