Those interested in subscribing to Apple Fitness+ so they can exercise along to the videos on their smart TVs might need to invest in an Apple TV device. The Fitness-focused subscription service might have only gone live today, but it already seems as though Apple is banking on the importance of its ecosystem support, even at the expense of AirPlay 2-enabled TV and player owners.
While Apple Fitness+ was announced earlier in the year, December 14 was only recently confirmed as the launch date. Now here, Apple customers have the option of signing up to the service as a standalone product or through the company’s One subscription program that bundles Apple’s various services together, such as cloud storage, TV and music-streaming. Due to the One program offering combined services at a cheaper price, it is expected that many consumers will be taking Apple up on its Fitness+ digital service as well.
One of the benefits of Apple Fitness+ is its emphasis on the lack of equipment, beyond an Apple Watch, iPhone, iPad and so on. However, it now looks like an Apple TV device is another required hardware product for those wanting to watch on a TV. First spotted by a MacRumors reader, the issue is Apple Fitness+ does not currently support AirPlay 2, removing the option for owners of AirPlay 2-enabled TV sets or streaming players to receive video signals, even when paired with an iPhone or iPad.
Right now, that’s the million dollar question. While the issue was first noted by a single user, MacRumors was able to replicate the problem, suggesting the only way Apple Fitness+ videos can be viewed on a larger screen is through the dedicated Apple TV app. For reference, iPhone users are reportedly unable to even AirPlay videos from an iPhone to an Apple TV device, highlighting the total lack of AirPlay support. If this is simply a launch bug, then it is expected that Apple will be quick to roll out a patch to fix the issue. However, if intentional, subscribers might they need to also invest in an Apple TV device to make full use of the subscription on their smart TV.
If the latter is the case, then it might not be totally surprising. After all, Apple is often keen on ensuring consumers use its hardware products with its software solutions. While this walled approach is limiting from the consumer perspective, it does allow Apple to better guarantee the quality of experience it wants to serve customers. Yes, AirPlay 2 is also an Apple service, but it is one that’s primarily designed to work with third-party devices, like smart TVs and players. In this sense, it is more of a support than an actual service and Apple may, rightly or wrongly, feel the best Apple Fitness+ smart TV experience is through its own, first-party TV product.
Source: MacRumors
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