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

GymKit has been one of Apple Watch’s smartest fitness features since it launched in 2017. Tap your watch to compatible gym equipment, and Apple Watch shares your heart rate while the machine sends back metrics like distance, incline, pace, and calories. With iOS 27, Apple is expanding that idea beyond Apple Watch.

I tested the new GymKit on iPhone and AirPods Pro 3 experience with a GymKit-compatible treadmill. It basically gives you the Apple Watch GymKit workout tracking experience, just without the watch. This could be useful in a lot of scenarios.

IOS 27 basically turns your iPhone and AirPods into an Apple Watch at the gym. Apple Watch Series 12: Three new features coming next week Ryan Christoffel Sep 1 2026.

Apple today shared a short video featuring an Apple Watch user named Amanda who says her device saved her life. In 2024, Amanda began receiving alerts about an abnormal heart rate.

Her watch alerted her about changes to her resting heart rate and her overnight vitals, prompting her to visit her doctor. She ended up being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer.

After treatment, she is in remission. "I absolutely believe that if it wasn’t for my Apple Watch, I wouldn’t be talking to you," she said.

The Apple Watch regularly monitors heart rate and can send alerts when a high heart rate is detected during rest. It also notes low heart rates and irregular heart rhythms, plus the ECG app can detect atrial fibrillation.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11 Tag: Apple Ads Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Don’t Buy) This article, " ‘I Wouldn’t Be Talking to You’: Apple Shares Apple Watch Survival Story " first appeared on com Discuss this article in our forums. ‘I Wouldn’t Be Talking to You’: Apple Shares Apple Watch Survival Story.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11 Tag: Apple Ads Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Don’t Buy) [ 31 comments ].