Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Phones
  3. Emerging Tech
  4. Mobile
  5. News

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Apple’s next major health bet could be an AI doctor

By
Add as a preferred source on Google
Someone holding an iPhone with the Apple Fitness app open, showing the Custom Plans feature.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Apple’s efforts in the health segment are a class ahead of the competition. But more than just racing ahead with innovation, the company has taken a more holistic approach that focuses on deep collaboration with experts, thorough validation, and long-term collaboration with its user community on medical studies.

The new hearing aid facility on AirPods is one such fresh specimen of Apple’s efforts. Then you have features like fall detection, looking for signs of non-rhythmic heart activity, and more. The next big bet from Apple could be an AI agent that acts like a doctor and might arrive as early as next year.

Recommended Videos

“The initiative is called Project Mulberry, and it involves a completely revamped Health app plus a health coach. The service would be powered by a new AI agent that would replicate — at least to some extent — a real doctor,” says Bloomberg.

What to expect from an Apple AI coach?

Heart Rate monitoring on Apple Watch Series 10
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

As per the report, Apple is targeting a wide release of this system with the iOS 19.4 update, which is currently lined up for a release in the Spring or Summer season next year. The idea is ambitious at Apple’s scale, though not entirely novel.

Essentially, all the activity and wellness data collected in the Health app will be assessed by an AI coach. Based on this data, the AI health assistant will offer personalized recommendations. Back in 2024, Google launched a “Personal AI” within the Fitbit ecosystem that will offer actionable insights based on lifestyle patterns and workouts.

Last year, an upstart named ExerRing also introduced a smart ring that puts an AI coach on your fingers. The Circular Ring 2, which promises ECG measurement and blood pressure sensing, also brings an AI coach to the table via the connected mobile app.

Fitting nicely with the future hardware upgrades

Apple's Health app on the iPhone 14 Pro.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

In Apple’s case, expectedly, the efforts are far more expansive. “The company is currently training the AI agent with data from physicians that it has on staff. Apple is also looking to bring in outside doctors, including experts in sleep, nutrition, physical therapy, mental health and cardiology, to create videos,” says the Bloomberg report.

As far as utility goes, let’s say the Apple Watch detects a spike in heart rate. The Health app will log it, and then show a video from a doctor on how to best move ahead. Apple will offer a similar convenience tied to food and dietary assistance.

The AI agent will also take a peek at users exercising through their phone’s camera, and will offer insights and suggestions in real-time. This could tie well into Apple’s plans of AirPods with an onboard camera, and a similar hardware upgrade for the Apple Watch. 

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem Sarwar
Managing Editor
Nadeem is the Managing Editor at Digital Trends.
Topics
I picked four wireless chargers so you can stop making your iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch fight over one dorm outlet
The best back-to-school wireless chargers for dorm desks, study spaces, and travel
Computer, Electronics, Laptop

A dorm-room desk can disappear surprisingly quickly beneath a laptop charger, phone cable, Apple Watch puck, and the growing collection of adapters required to power them all. Add textbooks and other academic materials, and finding enough room to study becomes the first assignment of the semester.

A wireless charging stand can consolidate several of those cables into one station. It also gives your phone a dedicated place to sit, which helps when you are checking the time or watching a lecture. Every charger here still needs one connection to the wall. So finding a peripheral that works with all of your gadgets isn't just convenient, it's smart. I picked four models ranging from an inexpensive two-device stand to a fast 25W wireless charger capable of powering an entire Apple setup.

Read more
Your backpack needs one of these power banks before classes start
I picked 4 power banks that can survive your longest day on campus
Anker Nano 3-in-1 10,000mAh portable power bank for iPhone.

Finding an empty outlet on campus can require more patience than registering for a popular class. Common spaces like libraries or lecture halls rarely have sockets in the right places. So a good power bank gives you far more freedom. It gives you the option to choose the quiet corner of the library, work outside between classes, or even finish an assignment without worrying about your laptop's battery.

The right model depends on what you carry, since a phone needs far less power than a MacBook or gaming laptop. I picked four Anker power banks that cover everything from everyday phone charging to running several demanding devices at once.

Read more
The Minimal Phone 2 looks dramatically better than the original, and I’m genuinely here for it
Plastic is out, metal is in, and Minimal Phone 2's renders suggest the digital detox phone concept finally has the hardware to match its ambition.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

I've been following the Minimal Phone since its initial crowdfunding days. The first iteration had the right idea trapped inside the wrong body, I’d say. Plastic build, no 5G, an underwhelming camera, and e-paper ghosting that frustrated early adopters; all these issues kept the phone from reaching a wider audience. 

Now, founder Armen Youssefian has posted what appears to be a 360-degree render of the Minimal Phone 2 on X, and from what I can see, the team has done its homework.

Read more