Apple is scaling back its ambitions for an AI-powered virtual health coach, internally code-named Mulberry, as it re-evaluates its strategy in the growing wellness services market, Mark Gurman reports for Bloomberg News.
Instead of launching the full service, the company intends to incorporate select planned features gradually into its existing Health app over time. This shift comes amid intensifying competition in health tracking, where companies like Oura Health and Whoop are delivering more engaging and effective capabilities—especially via their iPhone apps.
Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
The decision followed a leadership shift at Apple’s health organization, with services chief Eddy Cue taking over the division after longtime executive Jeff Williams retired at the end of last year.
Cue has told colleagues that Apple needs to move faster and be more competitive in health, the people said. He added that newer rivals — including Oura Health Oy and Whoop Inc. — offer more compelling and useful features, particularly through their iPhone apps.
The longtime Apple executive didn’t think that the company’s existing plan for a new health service met that bar. He’s also considering changes to Apple Fitness+, a $9.99-per-month competitor to Peloton Interactive Inc.’s app that offers guided workouts…
Apple, which spent years developing the artificial intelligence-powered service, referred to it internally as Health+. The company had previously aimed to introduce it with the iOS 26 operating system last year, before delaying the launch until spring. It then postponed the debut again until the release of iOS 27, scheduled for September, before the change in plans.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Fitness+ is great, but we’re unsure how many people actually take advantage of it.
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