Skip to main content

Apple patent may track weightlifting progress with rumored iWatch

Apple iOS 8 press 7
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple is going all out when it comes to health and fitness. After hiring several healthcare professionals, the company launched Healthkit with iOS 8 at WWDC to help users keep track of all their fitness data. Even though Apple hasn’t released the much-rumored iWatch yet, it is hard at work developing technology that will work hand-in-hand with a smartwatch. One new patent hints that Apple plans to track your weightlifting progress using a series of sensors; the data would then be transmitted to other mobile devices, including a smartwatch.

According to AppleInsider, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved the patent on Tuesday. The document describes a small device with several sensors onboard that you could attach to weightlifting or gym equipment, and thus track your reps. The gadget would feature accelerometers, processors, and its own small display. Using the information gleaned from the sensors, the gadget would then tell you how many reps you did, the quality of your performance, and your overall progress from day to day. In some descriptions, the device is mentioned as a bar clamp or other type of small gym hardware.

This standalone gadget would also have the capability to send your weightlifting data to other mobile devices, including smartphones or smartwatches, which means it should work in concert with the next iPhone and supposed iWatch. If Apple does indeed follow through on the promise of this patent and create the device, it would be a new specialty item for the company, and the first of its kind to target fitness fanatics. The addition of several new fitness tracking devices would broaden Apple’s device portfolio and give Healthkit a nice, big pool of data to pull from when estimating your daily health and fitness values.

At this point, the iWatch seems like a guarantee – it’s really only a matter of when it will debut. When it comes to other devices like the one in this patent, an imminent release seems less likely.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
How to manage and cancel subscriptions on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch
iPhone XS Max

If you've recently bought one of the best iPhones, you may think you're done paying, but with all of the subscription services and apps on the iPhone you're really not done yet. That's okay, and it is certainly great to experiment with new products and services on your phone. But what about when you get tired of them, or you've watched all of the best shows on Apple TV+? It's time to cancel time to cancel all of your un- or underused subscriptions on your iPhone!

Read more
I’m glad I never bought the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Modular Ultra watch face on an Apple Watch Ultra.

When Apple launched the original Apple Watch Ultra in 2022, it wasn’t a complete surprise since Apple had been rumored to have a more “rugged” Apple Watch model coming for a couple of years. But what was surprising was just how good the original Apple Watch Ultra was — even for people who never plan to go scuba diving or climb a mountain.

In 2023, Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra 2, which is identical to the original on the surface. But on the inside, it has the new S9 chip for localized Siri requests and the Double Tap gesture. Other than that, there’s really very little difference between the two; there wasn’t even a new color to differentiate between the original and the new one.

Read more
I’m worried about the future of the Apple Watch Ultra
Someone wearing an Apple Watch Ultra 2, showing the Modular Ultra watch face.

The Apple Watch Ultra has been one of the biggest additions to the Apple Watch lineup in recent years since it launched in 2022. It’s also one of the absolute best smartwatches too, with a large and super bright OLED display, incredible battery life, and the Action button.

While the first Apple Watch Ultra was a huge deal, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 felt more like an iterative upgrade than the first. But it looks like we’re in for a significant upgrade in 2026 — for better or worse.
Going from OLED to micro-LED
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (left) next to the Apple Watch Ultra Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Read more