Apple Fitness Muscles Into India

How far Apple, long oblivious of pricing when catering to India, has come, is evident in its announcement of the launch of Apple Fitness+ in the country from December 15. It will cost just Rs 999 for a year with monthly subscriptions slightly more expensive at Rs 149. Contrast that with what it charges in the US for the same service: US$ 9.99 or over Rs 800 per month.

Apple Fitness+ is the tech giant's wellness and fitness service for those in its walled garden. It has premium training videos that one can follow and do as the Apple Watch on the wrist records physical markers like heart rate and calories burnt, which are displayed in real time on the workout screen. Anyone with an iPhone can avail of the host of services that the subscription provides. Its press release listed '12 different workout types — including Strength, Yoga, HIIT, Pilates, Dance, Cycling, Kickboxing, and Meditation — with episodes ranging from five to 45 minutes on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.’ The service can tailor fitness routines for users. Apple is known for its great music offering, and it brings that too for users of Fitness+, like curating playlists that go along with the workouts.

All this might be worrying news for the Indian fitness industry. Apple's content is first-rate and comes integrated with its devices, making it strong competition for companies providing similar services. But you do need to be within the Apple ecosystem to make use of Fitness+ and India remains a primarily Android-driven market.