Apple Expands GymKit to iPhone and AirPods Pro 3

[MacRumors]

Apple expands GymKit support to the iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 with iOS 27, extending the gym equipment connectivity feature beyond Apple Watch for the first time.

GymKit originally launched in 2017 and has, until now, been exclusive to the Apple Watch feature, requiring users to wear the watch and tap it against compatible equipment to pair. The expansion means that iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 users can now also connect to supported cardio machines, including treadmills, ellipticals, bikes, and stair-steppers, for more accurate real-time workout metrics, without needing an Apple Watch on their wrist.

The feature works via two-way data exchange, syncing metrics such as speed, pace, distance, calories, and heart rate between the device and the machine in real time, with the goal of aligning what the user sees on their device with what the equipment displays.

Article Link: Apple Expands GymKit to iPhone and AirPods Pro 3

 

[svish]

Good to see this. Also a sign that more health features could come to AirPods in the future.

 

[twinlight]

Maybe the gym equipment manufacturers could begin to roll this out for more than their absolute top of the line units that almost no gym rents. I have met gymkit enabled machines like 4 times. All at hotels.

 

[TJccBR]

i just need bluetooth FTMS support

 

[Mike Wolf]

I’m glad Apple hasn’t abandoned GymKit, but it seems like a growing challenge when equipment manufacturers seem to have either lost interest or continue to only offer it on their most expensive models.

GymKit has been available for about a decade, and should be ubiquitous, yet it feels like there’s been no significant progress in making it widely adopted by equipment manufacturers, both in gyms and at home. I’m curious how Apple plans to address this.

 

[djplong]

Maybe the gym equipment manufacturers could begin to roll this out for more than their absolute top of the line units that almost no gym rents. I have met gymkit enabled machines like 4 times. All at hotels.

I have an old treadmill that is starting to deteriorate. I started looking at GymKit-compatible treadmills at a local big-box retailer. I found NordicTrack treadmills at $1400 that had GymKit compatibility listed. When I first looked at treadmills, you couldn't find a GymKit-compatible one for under $5000.

No sarcasm here - but I'm guessing it all depends on what someone figures is "high-end".

 

[goobot]

Maybe the gym equipment manufacturers could begin to roll this out for more than their absolute top of the line units that almost no gym rents. I have met gymkit enabled machines like 4 times. All at hotels.

I’ve yet to see one