Apple's rumored 'Health+' subscription tier with AI features is doomed to repeat Garmin's failure (www.techradar.com)

Apple is reportedly planning a new paid Health+ tier that will surface AI-powered advisory features — think nutrition planning and medical suggestions — inside the iPhone/iPad Health app rather than on the watch itself, according to Mark Gurman. The tier would sit alongside Apple’s existing Fitness+ subscription and accompany a redesigned Health app; the AI element suggests on-device or cloud-based models will analyze users’ health metrics to produce personalized guidance. Apple has not announced details such as pricing, data handling, model locality, or clinical validation, but the core pitch is clear: turn richer, ML-driven health insights into a recurring-revenue product. The move matters because it repeats a pattern seen with Garmin’s recently launched Connect+ (Active Intelligence, LiveTrack upgrades, Performance dashboards) that drew heavy user backlash when features became paywalled. For the AI/ML community this raises technical and ethical questions: will new ML features be gated behind subscriptions after hardware sale, how will models be updated and validated, and how will sensitive health data be used, stored, and regulated? If Apple splits features across Fitness+ and Health+, users may perceive erosion of long‑promised software value, hurting adoption and trust. The strategic choices Apple makes about model transparency, on‑device vs cloud inference, and privacy safeguards will determine whether Health+ is embraced as useful innovation or rejected as a monetization play.