Report: watchOS 27 to enhance heart-rate monitoring; AI well being coach might not debut at launch

For the higher a part of a yr, we’ve been listening to about Challenge Mulberry: Apple’s AI-powered well being coach. Again in February, it was reported that these efforts had been scaled again. Based on Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the options ought to nonetheless be on observe for iOS 27, although they might not launch till later within the cycle.

Alternatively, Apple is seemingly going to vastly enhance Apple Watch heart-rate monitoring with watchOS 27, which might tie in properly with Apple’s eventual well being coach.

Improved heart-rate monitoring

This weekend’s Energy On e-newsletter is gentle on particulars for the way precisely Apple Watch heart-rate monitoring shall be improved, however right here’s what Gurman has to say:

This yr’s watchOS 27 replace will focus largely on stability, efficiency and smaller refinements, slightly than introducing main new capabilities. Nonetheless, enhancements to heart-rate monitoring are coming. 

As somebody who makes use of each an Apple Watch and WHOOP, I do definitely discover its heart-rate monitoring to be extra correct, largely as a result of it refreshes extra persistently – offering extra granular insights. It’d be good to see Apple enhance on this regard, although I’d argue Apple’s largest shortcoming isn’t its knowledge assortment – it’s the interface.

Challenge Mulberry delays

We first heard about Challenge Mulberry round this time final yr, an AI agent that’d present well being insights based mostly in your Apple Well being knowledge. Customers would additionally be capable of share their digicam feed with the agent, and might be used to supply pointers whereas a person is understanding.

This function was initially alleged to roll out with a redesigned Well being app in iOS 26.4, however was since pushed again to iOS 27 whereas the workforce scaled again its efforts. Now, it’s sounding prefer it could also be delayed even additional into the iOS 27 launch cycle:

One inside venture, an bold AI well being teaching service often called Mulberry, was lately scaled again after Cue took over Apple’s well being group. I don’t count on options from that endeavor to launch till later within the iOS 27 replace cycle.

It’s nonetheless very potential that the redesigned Well being app itself will nonetheless debut in iOS 27, however Apple’s AI well being coach (and subsequent Apple Well being+ subscription) are seemingly delayed till someday later within the launch cycle. It might be iOS 27.1 in October, iOS 27.4 subsequent spring, or someday in between.

Apple’s resolution to hit pause earlier this yr was largely as a result of the corporate felt that its providing wasn’t fairly aggressive with different Well being subscriptions available on the market, and it wished to take extra time to get the product proper.

My favourite Apple accent suggestions:

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