Peloton Slides After Apple Launches Fitness +

While there was some confusion a few weeks ago whether Amazon had joined the workout from home crazy in a deal with Peloton competitor Echelon (turned out it hadn’t), moments ago Amazon competitor, and the world’s largest company, Apple decided to stake its claim in the rapidly growing home workout market, with the launch of Apple Fitness+ “the first fitness experience built around Apple Watch” which is launching Monday, December 14 at a price of $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.

According to Apple, Fitness+ can be shared among up to six family members for the same price, making it easy for other Apple Watch users in the household to enjoy the service. Apple Fitness+ requires iOS 14.3, watchOS 7.2, iPadOS 14.3, and tvOS 14.3. Three months of Apple Fitness+ will be included for customers who purchase Apple Watch Series 3 or later and one month of Fitness+ is included for existing Apple Watch users.

Apple Fitness+ will also be included in the Apple One Premier plan bundle, which, where available, also gives customers access to Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month.

The news quickly sent PTON shares lower and pushed AAPL shares 1% higher, helping the Nasdaq recover some of its losses.

From the release:

Apple Fitness+ brings studio-style workouts to iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV, intelligently incorporating workout metrics from Apple Watch for a first-of-its-kind personalized and immersive experience users can complete wherever and whenever is convenient for them. Apple Fitness+ will launch with 10 of the most popular workout types, including High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Strength, Yoga, Dance, Core, Cycling, Treadmill (for running and walking), Rowing, and Mindful Cooldown, led by a phenomenal team of trainers whose approach is welcoming to all. The workouts are fueled by inspiring music from today’s top artists designed to keep users motivated from start to finish. 

“Being more active is one of the most important things we can do for our health, but we know choosing to work out can often be a challenge whether you’re very active or just getting started,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of Fitness Technologies. “We’re excited for Apple Fitness+ to bring together the metrics from Apple Watch, great music, and a diverse and inspiring trainer team — in a uniquely simple, easy-to-access way across Apple devices — to encourage our users to get fit and stay healthy.”

Apple Fitness+ dynamically integrates personal metrics from Apple Watch to inspire users, animating them on the screen during key moments in the workout, providing an engaging and immersive experience to help users stay motivated. For example, when the trainer says to check heart rate, the heart rate metrics are spotlighted; during tough intervals, a countdown timer starts to help users get through to the last second; and when they close their Activity rings, a celebration happens right on the workout screen.

For those who enjoy a little competition, HIIT, Treadmill, Cycling, and Rowing workouts have an optional Burn Bar that shows, in real time, how a user’s effort stacks up against anyone who has previously completed the same workout.

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Apple Fitness+ gives subscribers the option to work out anywhere and at anytime with the screen that best suits them across iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV. And regardless of where users begin a workout, personalized recommendations are synced across devices.

Many Fitness+ workouts require no equipment at all or just a set of dumbbells, and Cycling, Treadmill, and Rowing workouts can be done using equipment from any manufacturer. For ultimate flexibility, most workouts range in increments of 10, 20, 30, and 45 minutes.

Apple also launched its latest AirPods Max wireless headphones with availability starting on December 15th for $549. AirPods Max will require Apple devices running iOS 14.3 or later, iPadOS 14.3 or later, macOS Big Sur 11.1 or later, watchOS 7.2 or later, or tvOS 14.3 or later. The headphones offer an over-ear design with with adaptive EQ, active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and spatial audio.