Apple is flexing deeper into health and wellness with a new Orangetheory partnership.
Customers at the boutique fitness studios will soon be able to track their heart rates during theintense workouts on a new $129 device called the OTbeat Link, which connects to the Apple Watch. The new device replaces the heart rate device that Orangetheory requires participants to wear around their arms.
The fitness chain tracks users’ heart rates and projects it on in-studio screens. Apple Watch and OTbeat Link users will now be able to see the data on their Apple device and access it on their iPhone.
The partnership began because Orangetheory said Apple Watch connectivity is the “most common request” from customers, according to a press release. It also rolled out a new Orangetheory Fitness app for iOS to use with the OTbeat Link.
This is the latest partnership between Apple (AAPL) and a growing fitness brand as the tech giant looks to reach more customers with different technology and a focus on personal health. Last month, Apple (AAPL) announced a partnership with another popular fitness studio Peloton. The cycling and workout company rolled out a new Apple (AAPL) Watch app that also tracks users’ heart rates.
Apple rolled out their latest Watch, the Series 5, in September, and prices begin at $399. Older models are significantly cheaper in an effort to spark mass adoption of the device. During the keynote, Apple focused a portion of the presentation on the Watch’s health benefits, from flagging early sides of a heart attack to helping a pregnant mother know she needed an emergency C-section.
OTBeat Link is now available for purchase at two New York City studios and will be available atall 1,300 Orangetheory studios in the first quarter of 2020.
