CEO Tim Cook says that Apple聽has 鈥渢hings going on in our labs that are mind-blowing鈥 when it comes to fitness. The聽comment was part of an extended in-person interview at Apple Park聽in Cupertino, California,聽that鈥檚 featured in the latest episode of the 国产吃瓜黑料 Podcast. Cook and podcast host Michael Roberts spent more than an hour walking the grounds of the company鈥檚聽headquarters, discussing everything from Cook鈥檚 need for daily exercise, to the new breed of health studies enabled by Apple Watch users, to the challenges of escaping screens in today鈥檚 hyper-connected world.
In September, Apple introduced the Watch Series 6, with the slogan 鈥淭he future of health is on your wrist.鈥澛燙ook told Roberts that the device, which now has a blood-oxygen sensor as well as an electrocardiogram app, is allowing people to 鈥渙wn their health in a way that they were not able to do before.鈥 Later this month, Apple will聽launch聽, inserting itself into the rapidly expanding online training space in a major way. Fitness+ will聽integrate聽your Watch data into guided workouts streamed to an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV screen. Cook believes that the simple interface will encourage people to explore new kinds of exercise routines聽and 鈥渕aybe expand their universe a bit.鈥 This kind of coaching isn鈥檛 new for Apple, he argued, but a 鈥渂roadening鈥 of the relationship the company already has with customers through its聽retail stores.
An avowed nature lover, Cook spoke about his love of America鈥檚 national parks鈥攈e travels to one or more almost every year鈥攁nd offered frank advice聽to visitors who spend their time shooting selfies at scenic vistas: 鈥淟eave your selfie stick behind and just soak in the beauty of the park itself, because that will stay with you a lot longer.鈥
On the challenges of screens, Cook was emphatic that Apple doesn鈥檛 want to 鈥渙wn our attention.鈥 He admitted he鈥檚 had to work on his personal device habits, and he promised that Apple would 鈥渢ake the challenge to continue innovating in that space just as seriously as we take the challenge to keep innovating in each of the product categories we鈥檙e in.鈥
Cook and Roberts also spoke about Apple鈥檚 environmental initiatives and聽response to the pandemic, as well as Cook鈥檚 belief that the company has a higher purpose.
You can listen to their full conversation on the latest episode of the 国产吃瓜黑料 Podcast, available wherever podcasts are found and on the 国产吃瓜黑料 website at outsideonline.com/podcast.