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Welcome to Apple World. This is what launching an Apple Fitness + workout looks like, stepping into a world of paneled walls, charming accents, and Apple watches. You can almost smell the eucalyptus towels, except you can’t, as this is a virtual gym shown on one of your Apple screens.
Apple has just launched this new fitness service subscription, and it’s either just in time or way too late. Lots of people have been locked at home this year, looking for ways to stay active and maybe even formulating fitness plans for the New Year (a bold move, considering how 2020 has unfolded. ). But companies like Peloton, Nike, and Strava are years ahead and their apps are sticky. They also offer social networks, which Apple has never quite managed to integrate into its products.
I have been using the Apple Fitness + app since it launched last week. I managed to do eight workouts in different categories (some workouts were only 10-20 minutes long). I compared it mainly to Peloton, both on the bike and on the mobile app. My WIRED colleagues and I plan to do a full roundup of popular fitness apps and home gym equipment in the coming months, but it will take a bit longer.
Apple Fitness + is… good? I signed up for a three month free trial so I will continue to use it in rotation with other workout activities and apps. This is one of the best fitness and tech integrations I’ve experienced – assuming “integration” is really a thing to want in home fitness. The app does not offer the live classes or coaching for outdoor races that you will find on other platforms, and in general, Fitness + classes do not have the entertainment value of Peloton. These things could get better over time. The one thing that probably won’t change: You’ll need a lot of Apple products to use Apple Fitness +.
High bar
First: you must have an Apple Watch to use Apple Fitness +. The cheapest version you can buy and access the necessary software is $ 169 Apple Watch Series 3. This means that you will also need a iPhonebecause you cannot set up an Apple Watch without iPhone. And if you plan to stream Apple Fitness + classes to your TV, you’ll need a Apple tv box ($ 149 and more).
You can also download the Fitness + app on your iPad and access the courses on the tablet. However, you will still need the Apple Watch and iPhone combination as you cannot set up an Apple Watch on the iPad. And again, you need an Apple Watch to access Apple Fitness +. It’s not hard to see what Apple is doing here; the company’s very inclusive fitness program simply excludes anyone with an Android phone or portable device from another company.
The cost for the Fitness + membership is $ 10 per month, with a few options to consider. For anyone who purchased an Apple Watch in the past three months, the first three months of Fitness + are free. You can also pay $ 80 per year, saving $ 40 per year. And if you and your family are totally locked into Apple’s ecosystem, you can choose to cough up $ 30 a month, then you and five others can access a package which includes Apple Music, TV +, Fitness +, News + and 2 terabytes of iCloud storage.
You’ll probably also need a few training basics – plenty of space, a yoga mat, hand weights if you’re one of the lucky few to have acquired some this year – and a stationary bike though. you plan to indulge in Apple’s cycling lessons.
Close your rings
These are surely top notch issues, but anyone who enjoys experimenting with fitness technology knows that it never comes up. You have to strap on the smart watch or armband, connect it to your phone, schedule the playlist, find the right yoga video on YouTube, then stream it to your TV, et cetera, et cetera. If you’re using a first-generation Peloton bike (the horror!), You’ll need to press start on both the bike and the smartwatch you’re using.
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