Thanks to Google AI/Gemini and Personalized Health Coach, Google will win the wearables space
Inspiration: Several attempts by Apple Fitness+ to monetize, my own need for such an agent, and the announcement of the Apple Watch 11.
Alright. I wasn’t going to write about this piece this week, but Apple’s announcement of Watch 11 yesterday made this hypothesis even clearer.
Thanks to Google AI/Gemini, Google will win the wearables space.
If you are following the space, other than the specific use cases (like uses by software developers), the battle for the consumer market is being fought between ChatGPT and Gemini (even though Meta AI is growing significantly, thanks to the distribution power of Meta Platforms).
So, the question is: if the wearables battle happens between Apple (with inferior Apple Intelligence) and Google, doesn’t that give an advantage to Google to leapfrog?
Let’s talk about a few points to paint the picture.
Personalized Health Coach, Powered by Google AI
Here is a quick video to share what it is.
Now, if you have tried Oura ring’s personal insights, you already know how amazing these insights are.
You figure out what you can improve, what you should be cautious of, and you get more familiar with how your body functions by simply having a wearable that connects to an AI agent.
Okay… If Apple dominates the current wearable market, what makes us think that it won’t continue?
Well, the answer is one thing Google certainly does better than Apple.
Software.
You probably heard the phrase “Apple is a hardware company, and Google is a software company” from many figures in the industry, like the infamous tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee.
Gemini already works much better than Apple Intelligence/Siri on so many levels. So, supercharging the wearable with Gemini will provide many use cases and value propositions for people to consider going for the Pixel Watch.
The biggest limitation is that convincing users to switch to a new phone will be a hard sell.
So, if this hypothesis does not play out, it will be due to people sticking with their iPhones, despite knowing that a Pixel Watch might be superior.
On that note, perhaps Google’s strategy is also to boost the value provided by the entire Pixel ecosystem to convince iPhone users to switch.
Speaking off…
AirPods Pro 3 Eliminates the Need for Apple Watch
I can’t believe I am saying this, but the earphones got so powerful that a watch may not be needed after all.
Seriously, take a look at this:
Heart rate sensing on earphones?!
Perhaps I am ignorant of the strategy behind it, but it looks like Apple practically built and welcomed a Trojan horse by Google.
What that means is, the users who relied on their Apple Watch to track their heartbeat will most likely try giving it a go without the watch, which can train them to let go of the watch altogether.
Do you see the risk here?
While Google improves the ecosystem of Pixel products, especially through software together, Apple’s relevant products are becoming too powerful as standalone products to damage the walled gardens without external threats.
I Don’t Know About the Developers, But AI is Replacing Personal Trainers
As an ex-personal trainer, nothing frustrates me more than personal trainers doing random stuff on their phone while their client (who pays them for their time) struggles with the exercise.
Add the friction of gyms in rural areas or those who work out from home (who pay extra for personal trainers to visit), and Gemini’s Personalized Health Coach will replace many personal trainers.
Come on now, we are talking about software that tracks you in real-time, adapts to your needs before you ask them, and answers any question with rapid speed and practically for no cost.
Even as someone who works out fanatically, I find myself peaking at my Apple Watch to continuously check for my heartbeat (to stay in the zone I aim for), and watch for any inconsistencies.
Gemini does it in real-time, so it can let you know if you are pushing too hard or slacking.
Heck, by eliminating the cost of personal trainers, people might be more tempted to switch from the Apple ecosystem to the Pixel lineup even more.
Speaking of eliminating the need for personal trainers, the tool also generates workout plans almost instantly, thereby eliminating the cost of recording costly, high-production content, as Apple did with Apple Fitness+ workouts.
Lastly, Personalized Health Coach by Google AI will most likely get better once multimodal integrations are introduced.
Imagine recording yourself through a Pixel phone and using the multimodal nature of Gemini to correct your technique. Who needs a personal trainer in that situation?
A tricky battle ahead for these brands, and as a tech enthusiast, it is exciting to watch.
Workout Buddy but Better
Apple was very close to this with Workout Buddy.
However, two points make me believe that Google will win this race.
- As we chatted above, if the users get trained not to use their Watch to track heartbeat, that already defeats the purpose of Workout Buddy (which most likely works with Watch or Phone, not AirPods alone).
- Gemini is simply superior. The conversational intelligence of the agent, along with its integration with other Google products (like Calendar, Fitbit, Health, Fitness), will merely make the holistic nature of the product superior to Apple’s. It’s not just one data, it’s the combination and insights generated through connecting multiple dots across user data that makes these agents special.
Early demos of both agents (Workout Buddy and Personalized Health Coach) support this hypothesis.
Let me share some pictures directly taken from the Google Store website (courtesy of Google) to show how amazing the insights are, as they are generated through datapoints across multiple apps.
With the likelihood of Google also doing a better job with linking other products such as the Oura Ring or WHOOP band, it is quite possible that Personalized Health Coach powered by Google AI will become the fitness & wellness hub for millions of people who choose Google’s wearables to track their workouts.
Let’s remember that if Apple was that confident with their AI, they would not have the need to provide the option to offload queries to ChatGPT on iOS.
If the concern was anti-trust, is it a coincidence that, unlike their long-time partner Google, OpenAI was chosen?
They certainly are aware of the risks too. I think they should look into ways to pivot, perhaps through boosting the hub by working better with other wellness products like Oura Ring, Eight Sleep sleeping mattresses, or they should let Google win the fitness space while doubling-down on wellness & mental health by supercharing their Journal app and integration with meditation apps like Headspace and Calm.
Either way, contextualizing health data and being an always-accessible health coach with Gemini will allow Google and their Pixel lineup to leapfrog in the years ahead.
The time will tell. Let’s see…
Update: Enter, Meta Connect 2025
Things just got more interesting…
After publishing this post, Meta just launched a series of exciting products through the Meta Connect event, and this just made the situation even trickier for Apple.
Meta’s athlete-focused AR glasses display your workout data and allow you to ask questions to it regarding your workout.
SICK! Isn’t it?
Apple will either have to welcome hardware by Meta into their cherished ecosystem (I’m sure they will be very happy about it), like an integration with the Health app, or have yet another risk against them.
Competition just got more intense. Stay buckled!