Apple’s Pelaton and more? Thoughts on Project “Seymour”

There was a leak this week for some iOS 14 features by 9to5Mac about a possible Apple exercise App that will be available on iOS, iPadOS, TVOS, and Apple Watch. I think if this becomes a product, this could become a hit. With the Apple Watch, AppleTV or iPad, and Apple Music, Apple could have a product that is competitive with Pelaton granted they provided the right third-party content and community. Apple Watch already has a basic form of competitions that I use every week that motivates me to do better and encourage my friends and family to keep reaching their goals.

The problem with Pelaton is that it’s pretty outrageously expensive. The stationary is $2,245 with a $48/month subscription fee. If you finance that over 4x years that’s $106/month you are paying to get into the gate. A gym membership will run you $50/month, but still, you have to go there to use it. Pelaton does have a digital membership for $13/month now with an AppleTV, iPad, and FireTV app you can use that links up to an Apple Watch app. I could see Apple doing something similar and charging $10/month for it and including it in an Apple Prime bundle. Obviously, you would need to bring your own gym equipment, but I think Apple could provide a more flexible platform that supports a variety of gym equipment and you could set up in front of an AppleTV or simply attach an iPhone or iPad to your gym gear or bike. They could also do other types of workouts like weight lifting, yoga, or guided runs outside. The Apple Watch pivoted hard into Fitness and Health with the Apple Watch Series 2 and I think this is the next obvious step. I hope it works out the way the leaks are indicating because I’d be more than happy to give it a go and maybe bring my iPad with me to my apartment gym to do the workouts.