In India, Apple CEO Tim Cook heard how the Apple Watch might aid professional sports. Cook met Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran on his first day in India and opened the Apple Store in BKC on his second. Tim Cook met Saina Nehwal, Pullela Gopichand, and Parupalli Kashyap at the Mumbai Cricket Association, BKC, badminton court.
In an exclusive interview with News18 at the Mumbai Cricket Association, Apple’s CEO discussed the Apple Watch.
Tim Cook said, “You know, it started with focusing on wellness and creating the three rings –the move, stand, and your exercise bar. From there, it detected AFib and heart rate, with early notifications. It’s broadened to cover people’s needs.”
“Coming to India and hearing how it’s used in training is great. I heard every day how the Apple Watch helped folks discover AFib. “And they told me that their doctors told them they would have died if they hadn’t found out about it,” he added.
AFib is an irregular heartbeat. Recent Apple Watch models may detect human atrial fibrillation and help users track their heart health.
In India, Apple CEO Tim Cook heard how the Apple Watch might aid professional sports.
The Apple CEO added, “We just keep pulling the string to see where it takes us” concerning heart rate tracking on Apple Watch. One athlete informed me they use the sleep feature a lot, and all of them utilize the heart rate function to view their heart rate zone. Thus, this wristband has a lot of usefulness. It’s great.”
Saina Nehwal, a world-class badminton player, agreed. “I started using the Apple Watch a few years ago and upgraded as new models came out. She told News18 that heart rate is a key indicator of training performance. “With the Apple Watch, we always get accurate heart rate tracking. Before, we had to feel the pulse. It was useful.”
Parupalli Kashyap said the Apple device aids training. Apple Watch monitors blood oxygen, ECG, heart rate, and sleep. This helps determine fitness. He said, “This tiny Watch with its sensors does the job of bulky ECG or heart rate machines.”
Pullela Gopichand, former Indian badminton player and coach, disagreed. “We have seen great athletes succeed without devices like the Apple Watch. Technology helps, but effort matters. “It’s good to see athletes using newer technologies to track minute fitness details—it shows how competitive things have become,” he remarked.