Apple Collected Over 18,000 Hours of Health and Fitness Data for Apple Watch

ABC was recently invited to Apple's top-secret health and fitness lab for the Apple Watch for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the testing facility, accompanied by Apple executives Jeff Williams and Jay Blahnik. The network shared a preview of its visit on Good Morning America earlier today, and has now provided a closer look at the facility on the latest episode of late night show Nightline.

The five-minute interview behind closed doors revealed that Apple collected over 18,000 hours of health and fitness data based on over 10,000 workout sessions that Apple employees participated in over the past two years at the company's secretive fitness lab. Blahnik, director of fitness and health technologies at Apple, also confirmed that the company tested the Apple Watch outdoors based on a variety of activities.


Lower-quality YouTube video available for viewing outside the United States

Apple Watch will be available April 24, with pre-orders starting April 10 in the first wave of launch countries: United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and United Kingdom. The wrist-worn device starts at $349 for the Apple Watch Sport, while the stainless steel models will retail for between $549 to $1,099 and the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition will cost up to $17,000.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 10
Tags: ABC, Nightline
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

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Top Rated Comments

macs4nw Avatar
134 months ago
Solid homework. Nothing surprising here..... reminds me of that glimpse into Apple's wireless/cellular testing lab they revealed after the ruckus about the so called "antenna gate"..... God, I hate that word.....
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nagromme Avatar
134 months ago
Try to imagine Samsung running 10,000 1–2 hour test sessions in a secret fitness lab over two years. Not very believable, is it? Neither the extreme pursuit of quality and usefulness, nor being years AHEAD of the industry instead of following 2 months behind the latest rumor about Apple...

I don't know if/when I'll want an Apple Watch, but I do know Apple goes way beyond the halfway spaghetti-on-the-wall product development practiced by the competition.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jimthing Avatar
134 months ago
This is all for marketing and PR nonsense.

"Oh look, people running on machines. How amazing our product therefore is."

...or not.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TechGod Avatar
134 months ago
Pretty cool, but expected. As a tech company as prestigious as Apple, you have to test it and perfect it otherwise your reputation will suffer.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Soccertess Avatar
134 months ago
surprised

I wouldn't never expect Samsung to test a product like this, they just release crap and keep releasing different products till they get it right. So good on you Apple on the effort to get a good product out the first time...

I still won't buy it though.... maybe when Apple drops the price or adds more sensors to make it worth that price point...


10 bucks a new watch strap connector comes out in 2 years and makes all those over priced straps useless.... Jono ivey will come out and say.. all new thin connector so we can make the thinnest watch ever, saving 1mm and ****ing all you over. thank you for dropping 500 dollars on your old useless strap...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
62tele Avatar
134 months ago
Lol, this is Macrumors. I would be surprised if some douche didn't bash Samsung, Google or any of the other Android manufacturers.
"Douche"? You mean like the douches who could care less about Apple but come to Macrumors just to antagonize.

I don't know whether the Apple Watch will be a marketing success. I don't know whether it will check enough boxes in performance and function. I do know that Apple has done an awful lot of design and testing in bringing their smartwatch to the playing field. None of the other full feature devices have hit the mark yet but many of them were rushed to market in what appeared to be an effort to scoop Apple.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)