Apple has unfurled a sweeping expansion of its commerce and wellness ecosystem, unveiling advancements that ripple across both digital payments and its Fitness+ enclave. The company has confirmed that Tap to Pay on iPhone has officially landed in Singapore, empowering solitary vendors, petite enterprises, and sprawling retailers to transform an iPhone into an agile contactless payment console no cumbersome machinery, no archaic terminals, simply a handset functioning like a finely tuned merchant’s wand.
The feature, first introduced in the United States in early 2022, enables iPhones to accept payments through Apple Pay, contactless bank cards, and a medley of digital wallets. Transactions remain cocooned in encrypted safeguards, shielding both purchase details and identity particulars from Apple’s gaze. Through NFC sorcery, authentication occurs in an instant, and optional PIN input—complete with accessibility refinements—ensures a friction-free process.
At launch within Singapore, Tap to Pay interlaces with Adyen, Fiuu, HitPay, Revolut, Stripe, and Zoho, with Grab readying itself to join the fold next year. Retailers need only summon their supported app, record a transaction, and extend their device toward the buyer, who answers with a tap swift, seamless, and devoid of peripheral hardware. The feature requires an iPhone XS or more recent iteration, and its behavior mirrors any standard Apple Pay interaction. Today, Tap to Pay spans fifty global territories, growing its presence like a quietly advancing tide.
Parallel to this payments stride, Apple has revealed its most ambitious Fitness+ expansion to date—a rollout powered, intriguingly, by generative AI. Next week, the service will stretch across more than two dozen additional markets, more than doubling its prior reach. Almost every region will gain access on December 15, while Japan, following its own cadence, will join in early 2026.
According to Apple, Fitness+ will bloom into twenty-eight new enclaves including Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and a constellation of others introducing an enriched library of workouts and meditations. In a flourish of technical ingenuity, Apple will employ digitally generated vocal renditions to dub sessions in Spanish and German, with Japanese arriving alongside the region’s launch. Each generated voice is sculpted from its corresponding trainer’s natural cadence, preserving personality while transcending language borders.
Freshly dubbed episodes will arrive weekly, in tandem with their English originals. Users may choose their preferred audio from within the workout’s controller, and selecting Spanish, German, or Japanese within the Fitness app’s settings will automatically shift playback to the appropriate dubbed version if available. The service also introduces K-Pop as a new workout music realm, widening its rhythmic palette.
Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of Fitness Technologies, emphasized the service’s devotion to inspiration and accessibility, celebrating its synergy across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV 4K, and even AirPlay-compatible displays. This expansion, he noted, represents the company’s most far-reaching effort yet an invitation to millions more.
Fitness+ is currently offered across a broad spectrum of nations including the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, France, and many more. Beginning December 15, the service will cascade into Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, the Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Vietnam, and a lengthy roster of additional locales. Japan’s arrival will follow next year.
This sweeping announcement arrives on the heels of reports suggesting that Fitness+ may be undergoing an internal strategic review amidst leadership changes. Despite such rumblings, pricing remains anchored at $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually in the United States, supporting up to six individuals through Family Sharing. The service is also bundled into Apple One Premiere, which unites six premium Apple offerings under one monthly subscription.
While Fitness+ reaches its zenith when paired with an Apple Watch allowing real-time performance metrics to shimmer across the screen it remains fully accessible on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV 4K. AirPlay support further extends its reach, enabling users to project workouts onto compatible displays wherever they may wander.
