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iOS 27 basically turns your iPhone and AirPods into an Apple Watch at the gym

Marty S.

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Perplexity debuts ‘Health’ AI assistant with Fitbit and Apple Health integration

⚙️ Firmware & Updates

iOS 27 adds GymKit to iPhone via AirPods Pro 3, giving you treadmill metrics without an Apple Watch—practical backup when your watch is dead or at home, though the $249 AirPods Pro 3 is still the price of entry.

Marty’s Take:

Apple’s playing whack-a-mole with its own accessory chain here, and it’s smart: GymKit was designed so cardio equipment talks to a wearable, not specifically the Apple Watch. Once AirPods Pro 3 carry heart-rate sensing, the Watch’s gym-exclusive moat shrinks to metrics it still owns outright: VO2 max trends, recovery, sleep staging. If your workouts are mostly treadmill cardio, check our best fitness tracker picks before assuming you need the Watch at all.

Shop mentioned gear: Apple Watch

Source: 9to5Mac

📖 Our deep dive: Best Fitness Tracker

AppleExercise EquipmentSmartwatches

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Marty S.

Marty S.

Marty is a contributor at Fitness Tech Trends, focused on helping readers cut through the noise and make informed decisions about fitness technology. He dives deep into product comparisons, analyzes features that actually matter, and breaks down technical specs into practical insights. Whether readers are choosing between heart rate monitors, deciding on recovery tools, or figuring out which smartwatch fits their training style, Marty aims to provide straightforward, no-hype guidance. When he’s not researching the latest gear, he’s probably testing theories about what makes certain products stick while others fade into the gadget graveyard.