It has been pointed out that the AI health coach that Apple has been developing and the significantly revamped healthcare app may appear in conjunction with the new Apple Watch, which is expected to be announced next month. In the past, there have been many cases in which health functions were added in September that can be used even if you do not have the latest model.
However, when Japanese users will actually be able to use it is likely to be another matter.
Will AI Health Coach come in September?
Apple is in the process of revamping its healthcare app with an AI health coach that provides advice like a doctor based on health data, and reports have emerged in overseas media that this feature will be released at the same time as the new Apple Watch next month.
Apple is expected to unveil the Apple Watch Series 12 and Apple Watch Ultra 4 at a new product launch event on September 10th, and new features in the health field continue to be revealed in conjunction with the announcement of these new models. The health field is positioned as a stepping stone for Apple to recover from its lagging start in generative AI, and expectations for the AI health coach, which is a symbol of this, have grown even more than new features in previous years.
Renovation plans repeatedly postponed
This renovation is code-named Project Mulberry, and although it was initially rumored that it would be released in a software update this spring, development has stalled, and the reality is that even with iOS27, a beta version of which is currently being distributed, full-scale rollout is likely to be postponed for the time being.
Apple subsequently revised its policy, and instead of releasing AI Health Coach as a stand-alone service all at once, it changed its direction to gradually incorporate the functions into existing healthcare apps as they were completed, and it was thought that it would still take some time before the complete picture could be seen.
On the other hand, since the policy is to deliver functions in small parts, there is a possibility that only the completed parts will be released first. It is quite conceivable that the game will be released in advance in September, with an introductory feature that shows trends in physical condition all at once, without waiting for the entire product to be completed.
An example of new features added in September
The following are major examples of health features that were added in conjunction with the September announcement, allowing you to use them even if you don’t have the latest model.
| function | added watchOS | Announcement time |
|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure pattern notification | watchOS26 | September 2025 |
| Sleep apnea notification | watchOS11 | September 2024 |
| low power mode | watchOS9 | September 2022 |
For example, the high blood pressure pattern notification, which indicates trends in chronic high blood pressure, was announced with Apple Watch Series 11 in September 2025, and became available on Series 9 and later and Ultra 2 and later through watchOS 26.
Looking at it this way, health functions are not necessarily exclusive to the latest hardware, but have been gradually released to Apple Watches from several years ago through watchOS updates, as long as they are compatible.
When will it be available at hand?
However, the fact that a new feature is announced to the world does not necessarily mean that it becomes available for use in your own hands, and there are significant differences in the release date depending on the region you live in and the language supported.
Regarding the hypertension pattern notification mentioned earlier, there was a slight delay in the start of provision overseas, and it was not actually available for use in Japan until December 2025, after all regulatory approvals required in each country had been completed.
In particular, verbal communication functions such as AI Health Coach have not yet been shown to support languages or countries, and it is currently unclear whether they will follow the same path as Apple’s AI functions, which have gradually expanded their support for languages starting with English.
At the very least, it is best to keep in mind that even if a revamped version of the healthcare app or AI health coach is unveiled in September, users in Japan may not be able to use the same functions immediately, and as with past health functions, there may be a time lag before they are available in Japan.
Photo:Apple
Source: iPhone Mania
