"Apple Inc. is scaling back plans for a virtual health coach, according to people with knowledge of the matter, part of an effort to rethink how the company approaches the burgeoning market for wellness services. The initiative, code-named Mulberry, was wound down in recent weeks, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the move wasn't public."
"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."
"He's also considering changes to Apple Fitness+, a $9.99-per-month competitor to Peloton Interactive Inc.'s app that offers guided workouts. A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. Apple is facing tougher competition in the health-tracking market, with Samsung Electronics Co. and fitness platforms like Strava gaining traction. OpenAI has also moved into the space. It recently launched ChatGPT Health to analyze health data, answer questions and provide feedback."
Apple wound down its project for an AI-powered virtual health coach, code-named Mulberry, and will instead introduce select features individually through the Health app. The initiative was closed in recent weeks after a leadership transition that placed services chief Eddy Cue in charge of the health organization following Jeff Williams's retirement. Cue has directed the team to accelerate development and better compete with rivals such as Oura, Whoop, Samsung, and fitness platforms like Strava, as well as entrants like OpenAI's ChatGPT Health. Apple is also evaluating changes to Apple Fitness+ and previously delayed the Health+ launch from iOS 26 to spring and then to iOS 27.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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