Apple Delays AI Health Coach Amid Internal Shakeup

• Project Status: The ‘Mulberry’ AI health initiative has been delayed and is undergoing a strategic rework, according to reports.
• Core Functionality: The service was designed to analyze user data from iPhone and Apple Watch to provide personalized machine learning-driven insights on sleep, activity, and vitals.
• Leadership Transition: Services chief Eddy Cue has reportedly taken oversight of the health division following the retirement of former COO Jeff Williams in 2023, who previously led the efforts.
• Competitive Landscape: Apple faces increasing pressure from specialized incumbents like Whoop and Oura, which have already integrated AI-powered coaching features into their platforms.

The postponement of Mulberry is more than a simple product timeline shift; it reflects a fundamental re-evaluation of Apple’s health strategy. The transition of leadership from Jeff Williams, an operations expert, to Eddy Cue, a services and content guru, is telling. This move suggests Apple is recalibrating its approach from a hardware-centric, data-gathering model to a services-oriented one focused on sustained user engagement. According to internal discussions mentioned in reports, Cue is pushing the team to “move faster” and deliver more compelling experiences.

This strategic reset is happening as the digital health market becomes supercharged by generative AI. Competitors aren’t waiting. Whoop Coach and Oura’s Labs features are already providing users with conversational, personalized feedback, setting a high bar for what consumers expect. For Apple, simply presenting data is no longer enough. The challenge is to build a service that not only meets the company’s stringent privacy and medical validation standards but also feels as dynamic and insightful as its venture-backed rivals.

While the delay and leadership change point to a strategic rethink, this could also be interpreted as classic Apple caution. The company is notoriously deliberate, especially when dealing with sensitive health information. Rushing an AI health coach that provides inaccurate or unhelpful advice could severely damage the trust painstakingly built around the Apple Health ecosystem. The delay may be less about a crisis of strategy and more about ensuring the final product is secure, medically sound, and seamlessly integrated. Apple often enters markets late with a more polished and user-friendly product, and this could be the same playbook applied to AI wellness coaching.

The next 12-18 months will be critical. The primary event to monitor is Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Any new AI-powered features introduced within the Health app, even if they fall short of the full ‘Mulberry’ vision, will provide clues to the new direction under Cue’s leadership. Furthermore, keep an eye on talent acquisition within Apple’s health teams—a shift towards hiring more AI/ML engineers with a focus on user experience over clinical research could signal priorities. Finally, watch how the competitive landscape evolves. If rivals deepen their AI integration and capture significant market share, it will only intensify the pressure on Apple to deliver a truly game-changing experience when it finally arrives.

• Apple’s AI health coach ‘Mulberry’ is delayed as the company reworks its strategy under new leadership.
• The oversight shift from operations (Williams) to services (Cue) indicates a pivot towards creating more engaging user experiences rather than just passive data tracking.
• Intensifying competition from players like Whoop and Oura, who have already launched AI coaching, has raised the stakes for Apple’s market entry.
• The delay reflects Apple’s core tension: balancing the need for speed in a fast-moving AI market against its high standards for user privacy and product polish.