Apple Reportedly Planning New Nutrition and Payment Services Alongside Fitness+ Improvements

[MacRumors]

Apple is planning to introduce several improvements for Apple Fitness+ and Apple Pay this year, and has explored offering an all-new groceries service that integrates with the Health app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman outlined his expectations for new Apple services this year. Two finance-related Apple services are purportedly in development, including a hardware subscription program and a "buy now, pay later" service for Apple Pay transactions, designed to allow customers to pay for Apple Pay purchases in installments over time, rivalling existing services like Klarna.

Last month, Gurman explained that the hardware subscription program would allow customers to pay a monthly fee and gain access to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac for the duration of the subscription. Apple is said to be aiming to make the process of buying an iPhone or an iPad "on par" with purchasing iCloud storage or paying for an Apple Music subscription, with customers able to subscribe to hardware with their Apple ID and App Store account.

The service is rumored to be Apple's "biggest push yet" into recurring sales, and while it has been working on hardware subscriptions for months, it was apparently pushed back to focus on the "buy now, pay later" Apple Pay service. Gurman claims that Apple is working to implement hardware subscriptions by the end of 2022, but it potentially could be delayed to 2023 or canceled entirely.

Moreover, Apple is reportedly planning to add new workout types to Apple Fitness+ with iOS 16 later this year. In addition, Apple is said to have explored offering an "Instacart-like service that integrates with nutrition data in the Health app." Gurman noted that the service sounds potentially complex to implement and "fairly low-margin." He added that he is also hoping for substantial upgrades to Apple TV+ this year.

Expansion of Apple's range of services have been a topic of speculation for some analysts, with Loup Ventures suggesting that Apple could offer "Podcasts+," "Stocks+," "Mail+," and "Health+" in the future.

Article Link: Apple Reportedly Planning New Nutrition and Payment Services Alongside Fitness+ Improvements

 

[LeeW]

Not surprised they want more 'time to pay' options, it's the thing that gets many more buying.

 

[Sciomar]

This could get very dangerous for those without a good understanding of finances.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I predict Apple will announce several new features and then state said features will be released some time in 2023 (or later).

 

[Thunderstrike76]

Apple just needs to buy the “Lose It” app and incorporate that into the health app.

 

[PsykX]

I hope the current Apple One subscription will become a "Pick any 4 services" for $19.99.

Right now I am forced to have Music, Arcade, TV+, and 200 GB of iCloud.

I would rather have News and Fitness instead of TV and Arcade for example.

 

[Corsig]

So they will food shop for you for a fee and put the nutritional value into the health app? Trying to understand the idea about this.

 

[chfilm]

Would be great if they could put some actual courses in there - I want an ability to find a program that allows me as a beginner to start a new sport from the ground up, but all I see are those beginner workouts and then everything else is for already more experienced people. This I don't get about fitness+.

 

[ChromeAce]

I’d be interested in Plus+, an enhanced VIP feature set of all the + services for an additional fee.

It is my understanding that the forthcoming headset, Apple See, will also be available in both + and ++ versions.

 

[LeadingHeat]

I’d be interested to see what the interest rates would be on this “buy now pay later” option. It would obviously be huge for Apple, allowing people to have more buying power. If it’s no interest within 3 months and low interest for longer terms, I could see this being used like crazy.

That being said, I agree with one of the posters above. Those with weak willpower and low self governance could easily fall prey to crippling debt if used like the average person uses Credit Cards these days. (Hopefully they implement the same transparent interest amounts and debt-lowering guidance that the Apple Card currently implements so well)

 

[jonblatho]

Would be great if they could put some actual courses in there - I want an ability to find a program that allows me as a beginner to start a new sport from the ground up, but all I see are those beginner workouts and then everything else is for already more experienced people. This I don't get about fitness+.

The beginner workouts do get you set up to take on the regular workouts if you're completely unfamiliar with that workout type. You might need to do them several times to get comfortable; that's fine.

If, after completing the beginner course, you're still not quite ready to follow the main trainer's workout, depending on the workout type, there may be an additional trainer present doing a modified version of the workout to help ease you in.

 

[antiprotest]

more and more stuff.

 

[sw1tcher]

Can't wait for Apple's Buy Now Pay Later.

Will be able to finally get that Polishing Cloth. Spit it into 4 easy payments. ?

 

[switcher3365]

I hope the current Apple One subscription will become a "Pick any 4 services" for $19.99.

Right now I am forced to have Music, Arcade, TV+, and 200 GB of iCloud.

I would rather have News and Fitness instead of TV and Arcade for example.

I agree. For News to be included, I have to buy the top plan. I can go without Fitness and certainly without Arcade.

If they had jump rope routines to Fitness, that’ll be a sell for me. Examples include what’s offered by CrossRope and Jump Rope Dudes.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I miss Apple of 15 years ago

 

[emmab2006]

AAAnd here comes the fat shaming By apple. Because everyone has to be beautiful acording to apple’s specifications..

 

[4jasontv]

Oi... What?

AAAnd here comes the fat shaming By apple. Because everyone has to be beautiful acording to apple’s specifications..

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

How long before Apple Fitness+ Vitamins?

 

[hagar]

Just release it worldwide already. I can understand “faster”, “one more time” and “feel the burn” just fine!

 

[chfilm]

The beginner workouts do get you set up to take on the regular workouts if you're completely unfamiliar with that workout type. You might need to do them several times to get comfortable; that's fine.

If, after completing the beginner course, you're still not quite ready to follow the main trainer's workout, depending on the workout type, there may be an additional trainer present doing a modified version of the workout to help ease you in.

Still- a weekly course for certain exercises would be great. I mean all they'd have to do would be to sort the existing trainings in a useful order that is building up steadily and reminding you every week/every two days to do a certain workout or so...I just dont get why they waste such low hanging fruits.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

AAAnd here comes the fat shaming By apple. Because everyone has to be beautiful acording to apple’s specifications..

Nobody said anything about ugly or beautiful. This is about health and its pretty universally accepted that being overweight isn't healthy. It isn't fat shaming to say that. I say it as an overweight person myself.

 

[Sciomar]

Here comes the fat shaming By Apple, because everyone has to be beautiful according to Apple’s specifications.

The world needs more services that promote healthy dietary choices and incentivizes (challenges in the fitness app) cardio and safe weight loss, unhealthy living should be frowned upon. Nowhere in Apple's fitness program does it disparage fat people. If you would take the time to look at all the instructors they use you will see there is not just one body type.

 

[DJdan1973]

1) Allow Health Kit on the iPad. Very difficult to workout using Apple Fitness+ with an iPhone 12 mini.
2) More filter choices within Apple Fitness+. People choose a cycle class based on how they are feeling at that time. Some days you want HIITs and hills ride, other days you want a low-impact ride. Pelaton excels at the filter options.

 

[Thebrochure]

Every single day it seems we get one step closer to becoming those fat people in Wall-E.

 

[spook]

I’d be interested to see what the interest rates would be on this “buy now pay later” option. It would obviously be huge for Apple, allowing people to have more buying power. If it’s no interest within 3 months and low interest for longer terms, I could see this being used like crazy.

That being said, I agree with one of the posters above. Those with weak willpower and low self governance could easily fall prey to crippling debt if used like the average person uses Credit Cards these days. (Hopefully they implement the same transparent interest amounts and debt-lowering guidance that the Apple Card currently implements so well)

I can’t see it being much different from PayPals 4 month interest free or pay in 3 installments

I am quite good with money but as you say it is easy to get out of hand, I use paypals as I don’t like paying all in one go sometimes, but it is easy to lose track and have it build up, it’s okay for me as I can just decide to pay it off, it others could get into trouble