Apple Seeks to Disrupt On-Demand Workouts With Fitness+ Announcement
A huge leap forward for the Apple as it seeks to make its Watch the premiere health fitness product.
Apple today just announced a new subscription service called Fitness+ during their September 2020 Apple Event.
Covid-19 has impacted our daily routines in a variety of different ways and fitness is no exception. 59% of Americans don’t plan on renewing their gym memberships after the pandemic. The reason? Fitness enthusiasts have found alternative ways to exercise without leaving their homes.
On-demand workouts at home have essentially replaced gyms as the preferred place of exercise. Safe within the comforts of their home, consumers blend technology and video to enhance their workout experience.
Peloton, manufacturer of exercise bikes for remote workouts, hit a record 3.1 million membership base at the end of June, doubling their member numbers versus a year prior, thanks to Covid-19 and gym closures. Peloton has cemented its standing in the on-demand workout space. Companies like Apple are eager to take advantage of the opportunity as well.
Anchoring on the success of its ever-growing Apple Watch, Apple aggressively priced their new Fitness+ subscription service at $9.99 / month. Customers will also get 3 months free with a purchase of the new Apple Watch Series 6.
The virtual fitness classes, led by trainers remotely, cover a wide swath of activities including yoga, HIIT workouts, treadmill, strength, rowing, dancing, and more. Consumers can workout alongside the trainers with or without their own equipment. Fitness+ will offer future recommendations based on the customer’s historical activity as well.
With Fitness+, customers can select the trainer, type of exercise, and length. Additionally, customers can also choose their own music, integrating with their Apple Music account.
While working out with the Apple Watch, data about the customer’s body will be recorded and displayed such as heart rate, blood oxygen level, or calories burned. It’s amazing to see how Apple has turned exercise into a metrics-driven haven. It’s especially important to note that Apple also discussed the importance of data privacy, especially with consumer health data.
Coupled with the Apple Watch Series 6 stunning new features such as ECG and blood oxygen monitoring, Apple has doubled down on wellness.
Peloton and other on-demand workout companies have their work cut out for them in the near future to compete with Apple. Peloton’s all-access membership costs $39 / month, compared to Apple’s announced $9.99 / month for Fitness+, a stark pricing difference that might shift the winds drastically, especially as the country faces record unemployment.
The new subscription service represents potential disruption for the market and a huge customer experience improvement for at-home workouts. It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out when the subscription service comes out.
Fitness+ will be available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and US before the end of the year.
About the Author: Quy Ma is a Director of Market Research and has 10 years of experience in the cellular phone, outdoor, and food industries. He enjoys writing about empathy leadership, disruption, tech, social justice, and self-development.
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