Apple confirmed three changes for 2026 that touch coached workouts and gym equipment: Workout Buddy now runs without a nearby iPhone and speaks Spanish, GymKit comes to iPhone, and AirPods Pro 3 can send heart rate to compatible machines. Each one has a different hardware requirement, and none of them is listed as exclusive to the new watches.
That is the useful detail for anyone deciding what to buy. Workout Buddy and the treadmill accuracy work ride on watchOS 27, GymKit on iPhone rides on iOS 27, and the heart rate sync is a property of AirPods Pro 3 rather than of any Apple Watch.
| Key fact | What Apple publishes |
|---|---|
| Workout Buddy | Works without a nearby iPhone over Wi-Fi or cellular |
| Workout Buddy insights | New pace, distance and duration insights |
| Workout Buddy languages | English and Spanish |
| GymKit on iPhone | Treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and stair-steppers |
| Heart rate to equipment | AirPods Pro 3 |
| Accuracy | Improved treadmill and indoor walk distance accuracy |
| Compatible machine list | Not published |
Workout Buddy without a nearby iPhone
The single biggest practical change is that Workout Buddy no longer needs your phone in the room. Apple says it works over Wi-Fi or cellular, which means a cellular watch or a gym and a route with Wi-Fi in range.
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Apple also lists new pace, distance and duration insights, and adds Spanish alongside English. Both Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 carry Wi-Fi 4 on 2.4GHz and 5GHz, with cellular models supporting RedCap for 5G and LTE.
GymKit arrives on iPhone
In iOS 27, GymKit is no longer a watch-only handshake. Apple says iPhone can connect to compatible treadmills, ellipticals, bikes and stair-steppers, which removes the Apple Watch from that specific equation.
Apple has not published a list of compatible machines or manufacturers, and has not said what happens on older equipment already certified for the watch version.
AirPods Pro 3 heart rate, and the AirPods 5 gap
Apple says AirPods Pro 3 can sync heart rate with compatible gym equipment, and that the same earbuds can supply heart rate in GymKit workouts. This is the change most likely to be misread at checkout.
The AirPods 5 announced on September 9 at $129 and $149 do not have a heart rate sensor. In Apple’s current lineup only AirPods Pro 3 lists one, rated for up to 6.5 hours of heart rate workouts. The same distinction applies to the new movement evaluations in the Health app, where Apple says VO2 max testing needs an Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 3 or a third-party heart rate device.
The accuracy claims Apple attached
watchOS 27 lists improved treadmill and indoor walk distance accuracy, and Apple credits machine learning for the treadmill part. Step counts also sync from the Fitness app to the Health app in this release.
Separately, Apple calls Series 12 the most accurate step tracking of any smartwatch and adds a new Steps complication. Apple has published a study behind its heart rate accuracy claim, covering more than 1,000 participants in July and August 2026, but it has not published a comparable method for the step claim.
What each change requires
| Change | What Apple says it needs |
|---|---|
| Workout Buddy without an iPhone | watchOS 27, plus a Wi-Fi or cellular connection |
| Workout Buddy in Spanish | watchOS 27 |
| GymKit on iPhone | iOS 27 and a compatible treadmill, elliptical, bike or stair-stepper |
| Heart rate to gym equipment | AirPods Pro 3 |
| Improved treadmill distance | watchOS 27 |
| VO2 max movement evaluation | Apple Watch, AirPods Pro 3 or a third-party heart rate device |
watchOS 27 itself runs on Apple Watch Series 9 and later, Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 and later, and requires an iPhone 11 or later, or an iPhone SE from the second generation on, running iOS 27.
What Apple has not said
Apple has not published the list of GymKit-compatible machines, a separate device requirement for Workout Buddy beyond watchOS 27, any language beyond English and Spanish, or the numbers behind the treadmill accuracy improvement.
It has also not said whether AirPods Pro 3 heart rate works with every GymKit machine or only some, and it has published no accuracy figure for the earbud sensor. None of these features is presented as a medical measurement.
watchOS 27 and iOS 27 arrive free on Monday, September 14, and the hardware Apple announced on September 9 reaches stores on Friday, September 18.
