Report: watchOS 27 to improve heart-rate tracking; AI health coach may not debut at launch

Apple's been working on an AI-powered health coach called Project Mulberry for nearly a year now. The project hit some bumps back in February when reports surfaced that Apple had scaled back its ambitions.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the AI health coach is still on track for iOS 27. The catch is it might not ship when iOS 27 first launches, arriving later in the release cycle instead.

The more immediate news is that watchOS 27 is getting significant improvements to heart-rate tracking on Apple Watch. Better heart data could be the foundation Apple needs for its AI health coach to actually work well.

This matters because health coaching is one of the most practical applications of AI for everyday users. If Apple can combine improved biometric tracking with personalized AI recommendations, it could make health insights actually useful instead of just another dashboard of numbers.

The timing makes sense too. Apple seems to be taking a measured approach, getting the data collection right before layering on AI features. That's smarter than rushing out half-baked AI that gives bad health advice.

For anyone using AI tools for productivity or wellness, this is worth watching. Apple's health ecosystem is already sticky, and adding a competent AI coach could make it significantly more valuable for the millions already wearing an Apple Watch.