Apple to transform the next generation of smart glasses into a health and fitness product

Apple is considering the potential to transform its future smart glasses into health and fitness devices, which could provide them with a similar purpose as the Apple Watch, which has become a popular exercise and wellness tracking device.

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that a new job listing at Apple indicates that the company is interested in creating health, wellness and fitness capabilities in its augmented reality products. The job requires an expert who is capable of creating such features and converting what the company refers to as ambiguous opportunities into viable product solutions.

The job description indicates that Apple is not yet sure how health and fitness capabilities can be integrated into its AR products but instead it is still experimenting with how this can be done.

Apple Once thought of Vision Pro in Fitness

Gurman reports that Apple had previously explored using the Vision Pro as a fitness device. The headset might also be able to show the heart rate and calories burned of a user in real time and also track body movements during exercise using its sensors.

The weight of the headset was however a significant challenge. The Vision Pro is heavier than half a kilogram and even when used normally, some users have complained of fatigue and neck pain. Consequently, Apple might have postponed the plans of fitness-related features until lighter hardware is released.

Fitness Features may be added later

Gurman believes that the initial version of Apple smart glasses will not have advanced health and fitness features. He thinks that these features might be introduced with a second-generation model, but Apple has not officially declared such a device.

Should Apple one day introduce health and fitness tracking to its smart glasses, the technology may provide users with an alternative means of tracking physical activity without necessarily having to use a smartwatch or other wearable device.

In the meantime, Gurman also wrote that the world-wide memory chip shortage has already started to impact the supply of Apple MacBook Air, which is another problem facing the company as supply limitations keep impacting the technology sector.